Commuters Near The Steampipe Rupture: Take Clothes To Con Ed

Were you near the steam pipe explosion yesterday in Manhattan? Con Edison personnel will be at two locations in Manhattan Friday to assist people affected by yesterday morning’s steam pipe rupture at 5th Avenue and 21st Street.

The 86-year-old steam pipe ruptured on Fifth Avenue at 21st Street at 6:39 a.m. Thursday, evacuating 49 buildings and leaving a 15-foot crater in its wake. After tests confirmed the explosion released material containing asbestos the city shuttered Fifth Avenue from 19th to 22nd streets for "several days" for cleanup and further testing.

Because of the asbestos, Con Edison advises that anyone who was within a block of 5th Avenue and 21st Street yesterday at or just after the time of the 6:40 a.m. rupture bag their clothing and bring it to one of the designated sites.

• Near 19th Street and Broadway and near 22nd Street and Broadway. Con Edison personnel will be at these two locations from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and will provide claim forms and accept clothing that was worn by people who were in the area at the time of the explosion.

The claim forms also are available at coned.com.

Commuters should expect plenty of traffic delays, road closures and the presence of emergency responders in the area. The following streets are closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic:

• West 23rd Street from 6th Avenue to Madison Avenue
• 5th Avenue from West 23rd Street to West 17th Street
• Broadway from West 23rd Street to West 17th Street
• All crosstown traffic from 6th Avenue to Broadway from West 23rd Street to West 17th Street

Subway and bus riders face their share of commuting woes this morning with trains bypassing stations and bus delays.

Photo courtesy of Drew Angerer/Getty Images

SEE: Steam Pipe Blast In NYC Flatiron District Forces Mass Evacuations