A major water main break forced the closure of all six inner lanes of Roosevelt Boulevard at Welsh Road on Sunday. Traffic restrictions there could remain in place for two weeks, Philadelphia Water Department officials say.
The break was reported at about 5:30 a.m. on Saturday and involved a 12-inch water service main beneath the Boulevard just south of Welsh, said PWD spokeswoman Laura Copeland.
No flooding occurred, Copeland said, but the intersection was closed so that utility crews could inspect and repair the damage.
Philadelphia police notified the public of the road closure shortly after noon on Sunday.
A text message issued via the ReadyNotifyPA system stated that cross traffic on Welsh Road at the Boulevard would be blocked, as would the northbound and southbound inner lanes of the Boulevard, “at least” until Sept. 12.
Copeland said on Tuesday that PWD work has been completed and normal service restored to water customers in the area. However, other utilities, including Verizon and possibly PECO Energy, had yet to fully assess and/or repair damage to their systems. The Philadelphia Gas Works reported no damage, Copeland said.
As of Tuesday, it was unknown how the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation planned to manage the ongoing Holme Avenue Bridge detour, which uses the Boulevard and Welsh intersection.
PennDOT closed the bridge unexpectedly in June due to cracks and other deterioration observed by inspectors.
Since then, Holme Avenue traffic has been re-routed via Roosevelt Boulevard, Welsh Road and Willits Road. ••
