Water main breaks, closes Ohlone Parkway

Water gurgles into a large crater on Ohlone Parkway Friday morning where a major water main broke and lifted the pavement up. (Photo by Tarmo Hannula/Register-Pajaronian)

WATSONVILLE — A major water line running underneath Ohlone Parkway broke Friday morning, spewing 11,000 gallons per minute of water and creating a river that flooded the road and caused a large crater in the southbound lane of the busy thoroughfare.

“It was flooded,” said Watsonville Field Services Manager Omar Guerrero. “The whole area was flooded really bad.”

The break closed the southbound lane from Lighthouse Drive to Santa Catalina Avenue, and a detour was sending drivers left on Lighthouse Drive, right on Nueva Vista Avenue and Right on Santa Catalina Avenue.

On Friday afternoon after workers shut down most of the water flow, a large, 5-foot deep crater remained in the road with large slabs of asphalt bowing into it. The flowing water damaged a large swath of concrete and pavement.

Guerrero said that Pacific Gas & Electric and AT&T are determining where their underground lines run before starting work Monday.

He expected the excavation, repair and repaving to be completed by Tuesday.

Guerrero said the break might have been caused by aging, rusty pipes but said the city would be able to pinpoint a cause once repair has been done.

No residents lost water service, and the northbound lane of Ohlone Parkway was not affected.



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