Prince George’s Co. water main break could complicate Thursday commutes

WASHINGTON — A water main break in Prince George’s County could cause a
headache for drivers Thursday morning.

The 14-inch water main break along Silver Hill Road in Suitland
Wednesday night caused all northbound lanes of the road to close between
Pennsylvania Avenue and Suitland Road.

The lanes will remain closed through Thursday morning as crews work to repair
the
break. Repairs could take between six and eight hours, Washington Suburban
Sanitary Commission Spokesman Jerry Irvine says.

Originally, WSSC said two local schools — Suitland High School and Drew
Freeman Middle School — did not have running water, but they are not affected
and will have classes Thursday.

The water main break has left a 6-foot-deep hole in the middle of the road.

The depth of the hole and the amount of water in it led to a delay in getting
the repairs started, Irvine says.

“Part of the issue was getting a good shut down. So the water was still
flowing, and around 4 a.m. they got a good solid shut down,” he said at about
6 a.m.

The water main that broke was about 70 years old and the current cold snap may
have contributed to the break, Irvine says.

Colder water running through the pipes can make any crack in the pipes bigger,
leading to breaks, he
adds.

WTOP’s Jamie Forzato contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.