March 8, 2023
Water main break slows down Keys traffic. Pipe replacement project to start next month
Source: Miami Herald | March 8, 2023 | Reporter: David Goodhue
Source: Miami Herald
A water main broke in the Florida Keys early Wednesday morning, and repairs affected traffic throughout the day along U.S. 1 in the upper part of the island chain.
The leak in the 30-inch pipe happened at mile marker 84.5 in Windley Key, said Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority spokeswoman Krystal Waldner.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office issued an alert around 7 a.m. telling drivers to “expect delays” and saying traffic in the area was being diverted to the Old Highway, a stretch of road in the Upper Keys that runs parallel to U.S. 1.
Waldner said no FKAA customers lost water to their homes and businesses as a result of the line break.
Repairs were completed and crews began clearing the roadway around 5:30 p.m., Waldner said.
However, while that happened, traffic continued to be diverted to the Old Highway, sheriff’s office spokesman Adam Linhardt said.
MASSIVE REPLACEMENT PROJECT IN THE WORKS
The issue with the pipe Wednesday happened a month before the FKAA is set to begin a $42 million project to replace aging pipes in the area.
Aimee Adler Cooke, another FKAA spokesperson, said four miles of the 40-year-old, 30-inch pipes will be replaced by new, 36-inch pipes that are “cathodically” protected, meaning they are designed to protect against corrosion.