Water main break shuts down major roadway in Troy

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A water main break in Troy shutting down a major roadway just before the commute home. NEWS10 was on scene most of the day and has the latest on the timeline of repairs. And, how residents are affected.

“The sidewalk, the road itself came up and then it broke,” said Mary who lives in Troy.

“It was amazing how many spots the water was coming up from,” said the other Mary.

It was a very active scene at the intersection of. 6th Avenue and Federal Street for a massive water main break. Officials say it happened around 2:30 in the afternoon. City utility crews began tearing up the roadway and got started on the repair, immediately.

Sixth Avenue is closed to traffic between Grand and Jacob Streets and Federal is closed between Fifth and Peoples. The mayor is urging drivers to avoid the area. People living in the nearby buildings watched the progress. “Looking at that hole they are digging over there. It's exciting, you know. I was all the way home and then I saw all the water. And I didn't have no water,” said John Scott.

But that was not the case for everyone. “Yeah, we got water here,” said one of Scott’s neighbors after NEWS10 Reporter James De La Fuente asked the woman if she had water.

Troy City Mayor Carmela Mantello was on scene evaluating the break. “It's a 12-inch main that feeds into 20-in main it literally feeds all the way down to South Troy down to the Menands Bridge.” Mantello tells NEWS10 that initially there was a short issue with water pressure in the immediate area. “No water Interruption. No boil water. We have a second to none DPU department. They were on site immediately.”

She says the repairs are expected to be completed before tomorrow night’s commute. “We're hoping within 24 hours that work into the night, you see this whole area has to be paved,” said Mantello.

The only disruptions reported were for the Rensselaer County offices on 7th avenue and the probation department. Both closed due to the water main break.