TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — UPDATE: 12/15
Tucson Water says the 24-inch pipe repair should be complete by Saturday, with full service scheduled to be restored by Monday, Dec. 19.
——
It’s been a real ordeal driving near Speedway and Kolb this week. A water main break led to a total block on Kolb North of Speedway.
Water’s back on for people in the area but when a water line two feet across breaks you get so much mud, workers may have to dig it out and replace it with dry dirt or things like sidewalks and medians will settle and be damaged.
Figuring how much they have to do is why there’s no timeline for finishing repairs just yet.
Driving can test your patience wherever you go, but this week driving near Speedway and Kolb is a special case of slow, crawling, frustration.
Mike told us: “It’s not fun, I’ll tell you that much."
Craig: "Have you figured out a way to avoid it or you’ve just got to live with it?"
Mike: "We’ve got to live with it until they fix whatever broke.”
A broken water main created a huge hole just north of the intersection. Until workers can finish up and fill it in, there’s a total block on Kolb northbound until the Sabino Canyon bypass.
In the meantime, it’s tough for workers to get to their businesses, and tough for customers to come in and buy.
At Instrumental Music Center, manager Michael Chico says loyal customers have been determined enough to fight their way in but it’s still bad timing when it’s time to shop for gifts and a busy time for musicians in general.
“Especially Christmas concert season. Right now. This is kind of a big thing. A lot of kids are doing end of the year performances and things like that. Also for professional musicians to concert season is really busy, especially for musicians who rely on that income of playing, performing.”
And it’s not clear when the construction will end and traffic will get back to normal.
Tucson Water says there will be a meeting Thursday to consider what more they need to do, and that may give us a better idea when the road will reopen.
——-
Craig Smith is a reporter for KGUN 9. With more than 40 years of reporting in cities like Tampa, Houston and Austin, Craig has covered more than 40 Space Shuttle launches and covered historic hurricanes like Katrina, Ivan, Andrew and Hugo. Share your story ideas and important issues with Craig by emailing craig.smith@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.
