Broken Water Main Floods Baltimore Streets

A 60-inch water main has broken in Baltimore, flooding several major streets north of the downtown core.

City Department of Public Works spokesman Kurt Kocher said the break occurred shortly before 8 a.m. at Charles and 20th streets. Several blocks of Charles Street, one of the city's main north-south thoroughfares, are closed, along with several cross streets. Some of the water reached the Amtrak tracks at Baltimore's Penn Station.

Kocher said water will continue flowing for at least a few more hours while crews work to ensure that gas lines in the area are stabilized. He said shutting off the water suddenly could cause portions of the street to collapse.

The main is 17 feet deep and was installed in the early 1920s.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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