Repair of water main break slow in Arlington Hts.

A busy location and a midnight rainstorm stretched the repair time for a water main break at the intersection of Arlington Heights and Golf roads in Arlington Heights from late Sunday afternoon until Monday morning.

Arlington Heights Utilities Superintendent Jeff Musinski said the blowout occurred in the bottom of a 12-inch pipe about 5 p.m. Sunday near the left lane of southbound Arlington Heights Road.

Water main breaks can occur for a number of reasons, and determining the cause is never as important as getting the break repaired, Musinski said. Soil conditions, including the presence of a hot spot, are common contributing factors to water main breaks, he added.

The break's location, in a high-traffic area, was one of the first obstacles to making the repair work quick and unobtrusive, Musinski said. Water main breaks more often occur in residential areas or parkways, he said.

Another inconvenience was the need to gather crews on a Sunday night, Musinski said.

Drainage around the site was adequate, so surrounding properties did not sustain flooding damage, Musinski said. But the rain that began falling around midnight Monday added to the time needed to complete the repairs.

Throughout the work, southbound Arlington Heights Road was reduced to one lane just south of Golf Road, and traffic at the intersection was backed up throughout Monday morning's rush hour. Repairs were considered complete when traffic returned to normal, which was at about 10 a.m.

The repair was made with a stainless steel clamp, and the hole dug in the road to access the pipe was filled with cold patch. Subcontractors are scheduled to make a permanent repair of the road sometime during the week of Aug. 25, Musinski said. Lane closures will be required again at that time.