Pueblo’s MLK bypass on US 50 closed in both directions after water main break Tuesday
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) - Westbound US 50 was shut down early Tuesday due to a water main break, according to Pueblo Water and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).
According to COTrip.org, crews shut down US 50 at approximately 2:52 a.m. on Tuesday.
The water main break is on the westbound side of the MLK Bypass, to the right of the shoulder, where the gushing water created a large hole in the ground just west of the interchange of Highway 47 and Highway 96.
However, drivers were also being detoured off the Bypass onto those highways — partly because of debris and water that temporarily flooded part of the highway under a railroad bridge.
Officials say the initial indications are that the break hasn't undermined the stability of the two highway traffic lanes.
"Crews stopped the leak and are waiting on equipment to get the roads clear and free of debris," said Joe Cervi, a spokesman for Pueblo Water. "It was a 20-inch water main that broke. As of 7:45 a.m., our crews haven't pinpointed the leak, but they believe they know where it is. It's deep, at least feet down."
CDOT and Pueblo Public Works provided equipment, Cervi explained, to remove debris and ice formed by the gushing water.
The eastbound lanes reopened by 10 a.m., and there is no estimated time for reopening the westbound lanes.
The closure extends from Amarillo Avenue, just past the 29th Street exit, a three-mile stretch of the highway. Drivers traveling westbound are asked to detour at Exit 321 to Paul Harvey Boulevard.
Cervi said that the first came just before 2 a.m., when the Pueblo Industrial Park reported a drop in water pressure, and passing drivers saw the leak shortly after.
This is a developing story. We will continue to update this article as more information becomes available.
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