Water main break floods southbound lanes of Highway 99 near 12th Avenue in Sacramento
Authorities closed a portion of Highway 99 in Sacramento for a few hours Monday after a water main break flooded the area with muddy water near the 12th Avenue exit.
All southbound lanes on Highway 99 were reopened around 8:50 p.m. since the freeway was no longer flooded.
Caltrans said its crews removed the water before clearing and sweeping debris from the highway’s southbound lanes, according to the California Department of Transportation.
The city on Monday received reports of a water main leak near Franklin Boulevard and 14th Avenue. Officials scheduled a crew to repair it later in the evening, so the repair work wouldn’t impact area businesses when the water was shut off, according to a news release from the City of Sacramento.
But the water leak “evolved” into a break that released large amounts of water that spilled onto Highway 99, officials said in the release. City crews were immediately sent to the area to shut off the water and repair the break. City crews worked with Caltrans to open nearby drains and clear water from the freeway.
City officials said crews from Sacramento’s Department of Utilities worked through the night to make the repairs. The crews repaired the water main and restored water services to businesses by 1:15 a.m. Tuesday, according to the news release. Residential customers were not affected.
By 4 a.m., power had been restored to nearby homes and businesses, according to the city. Public Works crews were in the area Tuesday morning to repair an excavated portion of Franklin Boulevard, which was temporarily closed from Sutterville Road to 14th Avenue.
“This was a significant break, but we were able to get it under control and fixed quickly,” Bill Busath, director of the Department of Utilities, said in the news release. “We are very pleased with the quick and professional response of our crews and will continue to work with the Public Works Department to get this part of Franklin Boulevard open to traffic as soon as possible.”
Before Highway 99 was closed Monday afternoon, Caltrans warned drivers to move cautiously through the muddy water in the southbound lanes, as work crews were in the area. At 5:30 p.m., Caltrans reported that traffic was moving slowly through and asked drivers heading south on Highway 99 near 12th Avenue to use the far left lane.
The California Highway Patrol reported that the junction from Highway 50 to southbound Highway 99 was closed, and that traffic was being diverted. Caltrans, at one point, encouraged drivers to use Interstate 5.
The Sacramento Police Department said officers provided traffic control for the water main break in the area of Sutterville Road and Franklin Boulevard. Authorities closed some city streets, which stalled traffic in the area.
This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 6:21 PM.
