Literally breaking news: ruptured water line causes street closure in Lander

A city employee worked to dig around the broken line on South 10th Street Thursday afternoon. (Joshua Scheer photo)

(Updated at 1:15 p.m. on Friday.)

By Joshua Scheer, reporter, county10.com

(Lander, Wyo.) – City of Lander crews repaired a broken water line at the intersection of South 10th Street and Academic Way. The repair work shut down South 10th between Main and Garfield streets.

Public Works Director Mickey Simmons said the city learned of the break at about 11:30 a.m. on Thursday. After performing line locates, digging through the asphalt began.

“They could be there a while,” Simmons said yesterday afternoon.

The repairs were completed by 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.

He explained that due to heavy frost, locating the source of the break could be difficult. The frost can cause the water travel under the road before it finds its way to the surface.

The hole has been filed in with gravel. Simmons said the gravel portion of the road will be maintained throughout the winter, and later in the spring patching of a number roads will be done with asphalt.

Water was being pumped out of the hole. (Joshua Scheer photo)