Water main break will cause troubles on Queens Road West early Thursday

It’s the season of the water main break in Charlotte, including one that temporarily blocked a key road in the Myers Park area early Thursday.

Water ruptured through the sidewalk, flooding inbound lanes of Queens Road West at Westfield Road. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police sent out a warning about the traffic hazard around 4:40 a.m. Thursday, once several lanes became coated with mud and water.

The break comes just a day after some of the season’s coldest temperatures. At one point, the rupture produced enough water to create muddy waves between yards and the roadway.

Charlotte Water said outbound lanes in the 1900 block could be closed until 1:30 p.m. for repair work. CMPD advised drivers to take Selwyn Avenue to go around the closure.

The water break was one of two reported in Charlotte early Thursday, near Monroe Road in east Charlotte, media outlets report.

Both breaks Thursday morning are among a dozen water main breaks that have happened across the Charlotte area during this week's cold spell, reported TV station WSOC. The dramatic fluctuation in temperatures can crack older pipes because the ground shifts when it thaws following a freeze, the station reported.

Charlotte Water officials told WSOC that there were 5,218 water leaks in 2016.

Water main breaks in Charlotte have been bad enough to result in lawsuits, including one filed in 2016 by a couple who said a November 2014 water main break sent water gushing into their home in the Mediterra at Carmel development. The couple claim they were forced to move temporarily out of their home for up to five months while tens of thousands of dollars in repairs were done.

This story was originally published December 14, 2017 at 6:04 AM with the headline "Water main break will cause troubles on Queens Road West early Thursday."