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Water main break disrupts traffic on I-94 in Detroit

75 active water main breaks reported in Detroit

DETROIT – Bitter cold conditions are responsible for causing 75 active water main breaks in Detroit, including one Wednesday (Jan. 26) that shut down I-94 in Detroit.

Traffic was stopped along westbound I-94 while work crews shut off the water main that sprung a leak, sending water gushing down the freeway.

The freeway had just been salted to try to melt down some of the ice. It’s been a harsh winter so far. Last week, an entire neighborhood was frozen in place.

Read: Update: Water main break leaves frozen pond on Detroit’s west side

And then, a couple of weeks before that, on Harper Avenue and Chalmers Street, another massive water main broke, flooding the streets.

Read: Water main break on Detroit’s east side creates huge mess

Another incident happened on Wyoming and Schoolcraft where a fire hydrant was taken out of commission, freezing the side of the road and shutting the street, southbound Wyoming to one lane.

Read: Detroit to finally fix leaking fire hydrant that has been creating a dangerous, slippery mess

A representative from the water board said that all the breaks are due to the bitterly cold temperatures and the aging infrastructure.

The 8-inch main gave way on I-94, leaving a handful of residents without water Wednesday (Jan. 26) evening.

Detroit Water and Sewerage gave some families cases of water to see them through the evening as I-94 has reopened.

The water department said they plan to get the 8-inch main repaired sometime Thursday (Jan. 27) morning.


About the Authors
Brandon Carr headshot

Brandon Carr is a digital content producer for ClickOnDetroit and has been with WDIV Local 4 since November 2021. Brandon is the 2015 Solomon Kinloch Humanitarian award recipient for Community Service.

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