What’s going on and what roads are closed with Fort Lauderdale’s water main breaks
Sunday morning’s update from the city of Fort Lauderdale in its ongoing saga of As the Pipes Burst:
▪ Broken pipes mean closed roads.
Southeast 10th Street between Southeast Ninth Avenue and Rio Vista Boulevard is closed. So is Rio Vista Boulevard between Southeast Ninth Avenue and Southeast Ninth Street.
Southeast Ninth Avenue is closed around Southeast Ninth Street. When the bypass pipe gets positioned, the Southeast Ninth Avenue intersections of Ninth Street, 10th Street, South Rio Vista Boulevard and the north side of Ponce De Leon Drive will be closed to traffic.
The south side of Ponce De Leon will still be open
▪ Repair materials are present for the newest water main break, Saturday’s rupture in a 48-inch sewer main break in the Himmarshee Canal, near Southeast Second Street and Ninth Avenue. Divers have to excavate around the bottom of the pipe to set up the repair.
“The leak is not impacting properties on land,” the city says. “Three aerators were installed last night and are operating at points along the Himmarshee Canal to help improve water quality.”
The area bounded by the canal, South Federal Highway and the New River remains under a “precautionary advisory” that discourages swimming, water-skiiing, fishing, canoeing, kayaking or any similar leisure-time activities until further notice.
▪ Workers continue building a bypass line for Friday’s pipe burst at Virginia Young Park, a break not to be confused with the Dec. 10 burst of the same 54-inch pipe in a different location in the Rio Vista neighborhood.
The bypass line will go from Hector Park, over the Southeast Ninth Avenue bridge and connect to the pipe north of Southeast Ninth Street, the city says.
Also among continuing activities is sludge removal.
Virginia Young Park itself remains closed.
