Water line break on Dover causes traffic delays

Deepa Bharath

NEWPORT BEACH -- A 6-inch water line ruptured on Dover Drive -- just

south of the water main that broke in October -- causing minor delays

Wednesday morning for rush hour commuters, officials said.

The pipeline, located between Cliff Drive and West Coast Highway,

connects the water main to a fire hydrant, said Don Webb, the city’s

public works director. There are no homes near the water line, and no

residents were affected by the break.

On Wednesday, only one southbound lane between 16th Street and West

Coast Highway was operational. Authorities issued an advisory during rush

hour to warn commuters about the problem. Workers repaired most of the

pipeline by Wednesday evening and will pave the road temporarily, Webb

said.

“We’ll wait until after the rainstorm to do final repairs,” he said.

That means the ground must be dug up again to do those repairs. But

Webb said the work should be complete in a week.

The water line is about 200 feet south of the water main on Dover that

broke in October and caused the entire street to be shut down for several

days. The main pipe is in the middle of southbound Dover, between Cliff

Drive and West Coast Highway.

“The two breaks are not related,” Webb said. “The line that broke

today is 25 to 30 years old, but the water main that ruptured in October

was built in 1927.”

Giving no specific reason for the new break, Webb said it was part of

normal business for the city’s Public Works Department.

He said underground utilities in the older parts of town -- Balboa

Island and Newport Heights -- have been replaced by the city from time to

time.

The right lanes on Dover will remain closed until repairs are

complete.