Water main break creates muddy river in NW Atlanta

ATLANTA — Workers remained at a midtown intersection late Tuesday night to repair a road that collapsed earlier in the afternoon.

A burst pipe led to the collapse. Now crews are working on filling a 10-foot hole left by the water main break, trying to make sure it is repaired in time for the morning rush hour.

The city says the 8-inch pipe likely burst because of old age.

Filling up the giant hole on State Street is a job not expected to be done until Wednesday morning.

Cellphone video shows the moment the street collapsed in the afternoon because of a water main break at State and 14th streets.

The break sent muddy brown water rushing past confused and surprised residents.

“It was bubbling up like a giant water fountain for a long time, it filled the whole street with muddy water all the way to the culvert at the end of the street,” said Troy Halvorson who lives in the area.

Atlanta Watershed crews have made progress since the street caved in at around 1 p.m.

Workers told Channel 2’s Matt Johnson they have to first fill the hole with crushed stone and sand, then concrete and finally asphalt.

Crews have been in front of Augustus Whittaker's house since the water main break happened.

“It’s been a kind of a mess ever since then,” Whittaker said.

He's hoping his family can get some sleep despite the noise. %

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“I have a 15-month-old at home, so hopefully they'll wrap everything up quickly,” Whittaker told Johnson.

Janay Kingsberry lives nearby and is worried what traffic will look like in the area if the repairs take longer than expected.

“It gets really crazy considering people trying to get out that way and get to 75. It's going to be bad,” Kingsberry said.

The city is asking people to avoid the area if possible since the intersection will stay roped off until the job is done.

Cox Media Group