Old Cast Iron Pipe Breaks Causing Road Closure

A break in a cast iron pipe, dating back to the 1920s, was the cause of the road closure on Hoyts Hill on Thursday. The road was closed from approximately 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m..

 Andrew Morosky, director of , described the problem as a circle break, meaning that the pipe was broken all the way around. “It was probably caused by settlement, and is not being attributed to the weather. It was an old pipe, but we expect them to last longer. However, if there is an excavation around the pipe, or simply from settling, it can lose its support,” Morosky said.

 The pipe was the “lateral to the hydrant from water main,” Morosky said, making it necessary to shut off the water in the area for a couple of hours.

 A large hole was created to repair the break, which was then refilled.  Hoyts Hill was expected to reopen by 3:30 pm this afternoon, according to Chris McCollum from Bethel Utilities, who was on the scene while the hole was being filled.