Crews shut off gushing water in main break in Austin, Texas

AUSTIN (KXAN) — After at least 2 1/2 hours of gushing water in Northeast Austin, Austin Water Utility crews finally managed to shut off the water in the main break at 8:30 a.m. Thursday that sent water spewing into the road.

Two separate water pipe breaks sent streams into Austin streets early Thursday morning, causing driving concerns. The first break happened around 10 p.m. at U.S. Highway 290 and Giles Lane. The puddle in the roadway froze overnight. As of 6 a.m., there was still a small layer of ice on a corner of the intersection.

The second pipe burst before 6 a.m., sending water from a broken main break gushing over Berkman Drive, just south of U.S. 290.

Austin Water Utility spokesman Jason Hill says repair crews arrived at the main break around 6:55 a.m. He said while freezes and temperature fluctuations can cause main breaks, they don’t know yet if Thursday’s frigid temperatures are to blame.

Officials set up barricades to keep people from driving through the gushing water. For now, officials are asking drivers to avoid the area since traffic will be disrupted in that immediate area.The roadway is still open to traffic, but cones are alerting drivers to steer clear of the ponding water.