Water Main Breaks Force Lengthy Freeway Closures In San Diego

SAN DIEGO, CA — Weekend water-main breaks in the East Village and the south end of Balboa Park kept a stretch of Interstate 5 and several freeway connector ramps in the bustling downtown area closed to through traffic Monday.

The first of the two pipeline failures began flooding traffic lanes at A Street and 11th Avenue about 3:30 p.m. Sunday, city officials reported. By 6:45 p.m., when repair workers got the overflow halted, the surging water had created a sinkhole and inundated at least one business.

About 3 1/2 hours after the first round of flooding began, an Uber driver reported that a geyser of water had burst through his windshield and a passenger window, injuring a customer, on an SR-163 offramp near I-5, the California Highway Patrol reported. It took crews roughly six hours to get the flow of water under control.

The extent of the Uber rider's injuries was unclear.

As of Monday afternoon, the northbound side of I-5 was still closed between Hawthorne Street and Sixth Avenue, with traffic being detoured onto the latter street and northbound SR-163. Also remaining blocked off were the connectors from southbound SR-163 to northbound I-5 and Fourth Avenue, as well as the northbound SR-163 ramp to northbound I-5, the CHP advised.

Authorities said they hoped to have all the affected stretches of roadway open again by early evening.

— City News Service