Water Back On; Rockville Pike to Re-Open for Thursday Commute (Update)

UPDATED at 2:50 p.m.

Water service was restored about noon Wednesday following a water main break on Rockville Pike, but road repairs will continue through Wednesday night, officials said.

Crews for the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission finished repairs to the 16-inch main in Bethesda and have water flowing again.

The 74-year-old cast iron pipe broke about 1 p.m. Tuesday on Rockville Pike (Rt. 355) at Cedar Lane near the National Institute of Health.

The utility says paving crews will work through Wednesday night’s rush hour, keeping at least one lane open both north and southbound. All lanes are expected to be open before the Thursday morning rush hour.

It is common for customers to have discolored water in their taps following a water main break in their area. Cold water taps should be run for five minutes to allow the discolored water to flush out. Check out WSSC’s website for more details on flushing after a water main break.

Patch will continue to update this breaking news story.

»Photos of WSSC workers repairing Rockville Pike water main break and faulty pipe, via WSSC on Twitter