WASHINGTON 鈥� The combination of old water mains and cold weather make for an ugly mess on the road. Cold weather exacerbates wear and tear and makes pipes more susceptible to failure.
Broken water mains keep happening along the U.S. Route 1 corridor in Prince George鈥檚 County, Maryland, during this ongoing cold snap.
The 12-inch main that burst over the weekend is the fourth one in recent days to break along a line that follows the road underground from College Park through Hyattsville and into Mount Rainier.
鈥淩oute 1 is really one of the older sections in our system,鈥� said WSSC spokesman Luis Maya. 鈥淭his one here in College Park that we鈥檙e dealing with today is more than 80 years old.鈥�
鈥淪ome of the sections of Route 1 are older than others,鈥� Maya said. 鈥淪ome are newer obviously, some have been replaced.鈥�
The older sections are where the breaks keep occurring, however.
After similar problems in Silver Spring last year, WSSC undertook a major replacement project along a water line that parallels Colesville Road for several miles.
Asked if something similar could be in store for the Route 1 corridor, Maya was noncommittal, noting the massive amount of coordination it would take with other state and local agencies that have jurisdiction over the highway.
It would also be costly. He said it鈥檚 a discussion worth having, but only once the lines in need of immediate repair are fixed.
鈥淥ur priority is definitely fixing them as soon as possible, as fast as possible鈥� said Maya. 鈥淚t takes time, it takes money.鈥�
