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Crews worked through night to repair KC water main break; repaving to begin Tuesday

Crew members from Kissick Construction work to repair a 30-inch water main break on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022, in Kansas City. The main broke Friday night near the corner of Walnut Street and East 17th Street when a vehicle struck a fire hydrant.
Crew members from Kissick Construction work to repair a 30-inch water main break on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022, in Kansas City. The main broke Friday night near the corner of Walnut Street and East 17th Street when a vehicle struck a fire hydrant. ecuriel@kcstar.com

The repaving of a damaged street in Kansas City’s Crossroads will begin Tuesday after a water main break suspended the KC Streetcar service and left a portion of the city under a precautionary boil water advisory.

Sherae Honeycutt, a spokeswoman with the City of Kansas City, said crews worked through the night to repair the break at East 17th Street between Walnut and Main streets and finished around 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Water began flowing through the street some time before 6:50 p.m. Friday, according to tweets from the KC Streetcar.

Further restoration and cleanup will also take place Tuesday, according to Honeycutt.

While the affected portion of East 17th Street remains closed, Main Street is open to traffic.

Honeycutt said the break is believed to have occurred because of the pipe’s age and the large fluctuation in weather. Based on the minimal amount of water loss, Honeycutt said residents should not expect a large increase in their water bill.

As of Saturday afternoon, the city is not aware of any claimed structural damage as a result of the break.

Kansas City residents from Main Street to Manchester Trafficway, east to west, and Independence Blvd. to Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard remain under a precautionary boil water advisory until they receive notice from KC Water.

The KC Streetcar resumed its regular route shortly after the break.

Mayor Quinton Lucas thanked the KC Water employees and contractors who worked for all night and into the afternoon to resolve the issue. According to Lucas, crews are placing the line back in service.

This story was originally published December 31, 2022 at 4:34 PM.

Jenna Thompson
The Kansas City Star
Jenna Thompson covers retail news for The Kansas City Star. A native of Lincoln, Nebraska, she previously reported for the Lincoln Journal Star and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she studied journalism and English.
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