A sure sign of spring . . .
Two of the surest signs of spring are potholes and water main breaks - but the two are rarely found in the same place at the same time.
City Administrator Leon Schochenmaier says city crews responded to a water main break on Capitol Avenue late Tuesday afternoon. The 1920's era water main running along Capitol Avenue from Highland to Ree Street is almost as old as the Capitol Building itself, and it's increasingly the site of water outages and related problems.
"Given its age, it's remarkable that we haven't had more problems," says Schochenmaier. "but it's definitely telling us that it's tired."
As the spring thaw and water run off season hits its peak, city streets and underground utilities take a beating. Streets shrug off winter with potholes while underground utilities heave off the winter frost lines, occasionally causing breaks.
City crews are out in full force repairing potholes, sweeping streets, and making ready for the summer construction season. A sure sign of spring.