x
Breaking News
More () »

Cave-in on Broadway at Preston to cause traffic restrictions

Five lanes of Broadway at Preston Street have been closed after the 152-year-old sewer line collapsed some time Sunday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- Driving down Broadway can already be a challenge with rush hour traffic, but a new obstacle will make the commute all the more frustrating as MSD crews work to repair a cave-in at the intersection of Broadway and Preston.

"It's approximately 10-feet deep. It's about 15 by 30 feet," MSD Executive Director Tony Parrott said. "So essentially under the pavement, there is nothing there."

MSD first discovered the cave-in Friday evening when someone reported a crack in the road. Crews were on scene Saturday and Sunday preparing the site to repair the 96-inch brick sewer underneath Broadway that was built more than 150 years earlier.

"This is a very common thing that we're seeing and it's happening not only in this area but it's happening all over downtown Louisville and all over our service area," Parrott said.

Cave-ins may not be unusual - MSD reported more than 1,600 cave-ins between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018 in their district - but this one is a little more tricky, thanks to its location on a busy street along with the presence of two large water mains in the area. According to Parrott, crews have already taken care of one of the water mains and will be working on the second one to make sure they are not affected during the sewer repair.

"This is definitely a Band-Aid fix, an emergency response, an emergency repair," he said. "It's more costly to address these fixes this way."

Crews will begin excavating the cave-in Monday and will repair the hole in the sewer with concrete before stabilizing the sewer, but as Parrott said, this is only a temporary solution. Parrott said MSD has a critical repair and reinvestment plan that would take 20 years and cost $4 billion.

"The longer we kick the can down the road, the more costly it's going to be," he said.

But until MSD can get the plan underway, they will be making sure this road and the others throughout Louisville that have been affected by cave-ins get fixed and back open to drivers as quickly and safely as possible.

"Slow down because there will be workers and large equipment moving in and out," Parrott said.

MSD does not have a timeline on when this project will be completed. Parrott said crews will have a better idea after Monday.

While the lanes on Broadway are closed, the following alternate routes will help you avoid construction:

If you're coming into downtown Louisville from the north, take Main Street. If you're coming from the south, consider taking Breckinridge St.

Before You Leave, Check This Out