HILO — Hawaii County workers repaired a water main Friday evening in downtown Hilo, restoring vehicle access and water service to nearby businesses.
The closure, which started shortly after 8:30 a.m., snarled traffic for much of the day around the business area, with motorists having to zig zag their way around the closure.
The water main burst under the intersection of Keawe and Haili streets. Vehicle access was restricted a block in each direction.
Water could be seen bubbling up to the surface prior to workers shutting off water valves nearby.
Keith Okamoto, Department of Water Supply manager, said a block of Haili Street between Keawe Street and Kamehameha Avenue temporarily lost water service as a result. Service was restored in the afternoon.
At first, it wasn’t clear if the 6-inch cast iron pipe broke at the intersection.
Okamoto said the downtown streets have a concrete foundation, which can make it difficult for water to find its way to the surface.
“When water comes up, if it hits concrete, it travels along until there’s an opening in the concrete, and it shows up at the surface,” he said.
But the break was found right under the intersection, limiting the damage.
Still, Okamoto said the department will look at replacing the pipe, which is more than 50 years old.
“It’s one of our older ones,” he said.
“We’ll see if our priorities need to be shifted.”