Yakima Avenue Section Damaged by Water Break Reopens

A one-block section of Yakima Avenue damaged by a water main break on October 25th has been repaired and will be reopened to traffic later today.

This afternoon, Columbia Asphalt & Gravel, Inc., a Yakima-based contracting firm, finished repaving sections of Yakima Avenue between 1st Street and 2nd Street that sustained damage from the break to both the road surface and the subbase. The entire outside, westbound lane of Yakima Avenue and the parking strip on the north side of the street were repaved. Paving on part of the inside, westbound lane and short sections of the two eastbound lanes was also replaced.

“It’s fortunate that the damage to the subbase was not as severe as it might have been,” said Communications & Public Affairs Director Randy Beehler. “Because the actual effects of the break on the roadway and subbase were relatively limited, the repairs were able to be made rather quickly and the overall cost is likely to be lower than originally estimated. Plus, that section of Yakima Avenue will be open for tomorrow’s Veterans Day parade,” said Beehler. “The great tradition of the parade will continue uninterrupted.”

The break occurred when an approximately 10-foot crack formed along a section of the old pipe and resulted in water flowing through the street’s subbase, across the road and the adjacent sidewalk, and even into some nearby buildings. While the cracked section of pipe was removed and replaced the same day the break occurred, City officials decided to replace the entire one-block section of pipe to avoid future leaks that could develop in the old pipe. Late last week, Yakima-based Ken Leingang Excavating, Inc. removed a one-block section of old water pipe and replaced it with new pipe.

A portion of sidewalk that collapsed as a result of the break still needs to be replaced. That work is expected to occur within the next few days.

Initial estimates put the cost of repairs to the sidewalk and roadway, along with the installation of the new one-block section of pipe, at about $150,000. Because the damage to the roadway sections was not as significant as it could have been, the actual cost of the repair project is likely to be lower than that, although the final cost won’t be determined for several days.

A capital fund specifically used for projects related to the water system will cover the cost of the road repairs and installing the new water pipe.

Downtown Yakima Water Main Break – News Release