Busy road still closed a week after water main break

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A week after it happened, the traffic nightmares continue at the scene of a water main break in northwest Albuquerque.

Water main breaks typically take a few days to repair, but this one is taking a lot longer.

The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority says it won't be until early next week when Taylor Ranch Road NW is completely open.

It has been a week and repair crews are just now repaving the stretch of Taylor Ranch Road near Montaño Road, a busy street normally packed with West Side commuters.

“It was a horrible mess out here,” says Gail Twilegar.

Last Thursday there was water rushing through the street, city cars stuck in sinking soil, and surrounding homes and businesses without water after a water main break on Taylor Ranch and two other breaks nearby.

Water was restored the next day, but residents and commuters are still being rerouted.

"I went through the parking lot. That's the only way to go,” says Lilly Norwood.

KRQE News 13 spoke with people in the area who say it's been a traffic headache, and no one was quite sure why a normally 2-3 day job to fix the road has taken a week.

Water Utility Authority spokesperson David Morris concedes there have been some complications.

“Normally, we'd be in and out pretty quickly. Unfortunately, the damage that was caused here was right over a large gas line,” he says.

Not only that,  but he says repaving had to be put off until the weather warmed up a little, like it did Thursday.

Though Morris says he doesn't know for sure, the latest cold snap may have been what started this whole problem in the first place—chilling the water pipes.

“All our crews have been extremely busy, and sometimes jobs have been taking a little longer because of the cold weather, so we appreciate everyone's patience when we deal with that."

The Water Utility Authority hopes to have one lane at Taylor Ranch open by Friday.