04:53 PM MST on Monday, February 13, 2006

BOISE -- A busy stretch of Broadway Avenue in Boise remains closed today after a large water pipe broke Saturday and left a car-sized hole in the street.

KTVB

Asphalt on Broadway Avenue collapsed Saturday after a water main broke, creating a hole the size of a car. Crews hope to have the hole repaired and road reopened by Tuesday.

A paving crew is making repairs, but officials say the roadbed must be dry before it can be paved. And then the road will need to restriped and inspected by Ada County Highway District before the it can be reopened to traffic. That probably won't happen until Tuesday.

The water that came from the broken pipe rushed down Broadway and came very close to flooding a fast food restaurant.

"My friend called me and said there is a hole in the ground so I came to check it out,"   Sergey Shabura said.

Onlookers like Shabura were shocked to see what damage can result from a burst water pipe.

"When the pipe broke it sent water rushing out, even bursting through the edge of the road, you can see where it is lifted right here,” he said. “Then a flood of water surged down Broadway.

Boise police closed off Broadway from Warm Springs to Front Street as crews worked on the problem.

"I had to go around a different route because they blocked off the road,” Shabura said.

While drivers were inconvenienced, businesses had their own problems. Some, like a nearby TCBY and Carl’s Junior closed down for the day.

"We had to close down for the day...with Broadway being closed off...there is no business so we had to close,"  Kathie Brockmeyer with Carl’s Junior said. ”No sales  for the whole day that's not good for business at all."

Water was shut of to several businesses and some homes, allowing crews to take a closer look at the pipe.    A worker from United Water says the pipe is about 16 years old, which is fairly new. 

With the water cleared away--onlookers can also get a clear look at the remaining damage.

Downtown traffic is being further impacted by the construction of a geo-thermal water line across Capitol Boulevard to the BoDo development.  Traffic in that area is restricted down to two lanes – just a few blocks from the closure at Broadway Avenue. 

It is unknown if the construction and water main break are connected.

United Water says that 16 businesses have no water because of break, as well as some nearby apartments.  The cause of the break is not yet known.

Also, some customers may have discolored water.  United Water says the water is safe to drink after you run it until it is clear.  The discoloration is the result of efforts to meet water needs after the broken pipe was shut off.  Water from other sources was re-routed, which causes the discoloration.