Water Main Break Damage Will Affect PM Rush Hour: WSSC

BETHESDA, MD — A stretch of East-West Highway in Chevy Chase will remain closed through Friday evening rush hour, says to the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission.

The announcement comes less than 24 hours after a broken water main forced a portion of the highway to close. At 3:45 p.m. on Thursday, Montgomery County officials tweeted that all eastbound and westbound lanes of East-West Highway, between Connecticut Avenue and Jones Mill Road, were closed.

Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission — the company that provides water for both Montgomery and Prince George's counties — said early Friday morning that the break has been repaired. The roads, however, remained closed through the morning rush hour.

At first, the water company said it wasn't sure if the road closure would affect the evening rush hour. But 800 tons of asphalt are needed to repair that stretch of highway, according to WSSC.

As a result, East-West Highway between Beach Drive and Brookville Road will be closed during rush hour on Friday.

Water Discoloration

It's common for there to be discolored tap water after a water main break, say officials. So there's no need to boil your water.

Good morning, Erica. Per @WSSCWaterNews, the water is safe to drink. There is no need to boil the water. Discolored water is common after a water main break. Please see linked tweet with info from WSSC: https://t.co/RDx4rQUuM3
— MC Emergency Mgmt (@ReadyMontgomery) August 9, 2019