A section of East-West Highway in Prince George's County is expected to remain closed through the Wednesday evening rush hour after a water main break overnight.
All westbound lanes of East-West Highway (Highway 410) were closed near Baltimore Avenue (U.S. 1) as of 4:30 p.m., the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission said. Two lanes of eastbound traffic were open.
A 10-inch water main broke overnight, closing the busy road through the morning rush. The damage extended 25 feet beyond the break, indicating the force of the rushing water, WSSC said. The affected pipe is 90 years old.
"I didn't even know what was going on, and now I'm late for work," said one woman driving through the area.
"Once the crew gets in here, they'll... see what's going on with the break, see what kind of break we have and see how long it's going to take to make the repairs," WSSC spokesman Jerry Irvine said Wednesday morning. .
Some customers nearby were without water.
WSSC said they replace more than 55 miles of water mains per year. About 37 percent of pipes in the system are more than 50 years old.
