2 Lanes of I-8 East Opened in Wake of Burst Pipe in Mission Valley

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Caltrans workers repair a water main break on eastbound Interstate 8 in Mission Valley.
Caltrans workers repair a water main break on the edge of eastbound Interstate 8 in Mission Valley. Photo by Chris Stone

The two left lanes of eastbound Interstate 8 near Interstate 5 were opened before 6 p.m. Thursday, but the California Highway Patrol said lanes 3 and 4 would stay closed for an “extended amount of time.”

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Westbound traffic on Interstate 8 passes scene of burst water pipe.
Westbound traffic on Interstate 8 passes scene of burst water pipe. Photo by Chris Stone

A water line ruptured under the southern edge of Interstate 8 in Mission Valley, causing a spectacular geyser that flooded the freeway, dug a yawning hole in the pavement and shut down eastbound lanes for close to six hours.

Motorists hit their brakes, stared in awe and fired up their cellphone cameras as a plume of water began spewing about 20 feet into the air on the southern edge of I-8 near Hotel Circle South shortly after noon.

CHP Officer Jake Sanchez told reporters that I-8 east would remain closed until the water was turned off and damage assessed. About 2:45 p.m., CHP was told the water was shut off.

“Pack your patience as much as possible,” he said. “It’s going to be a longer commute than normal today.”

A two-mile stretch of I-8 was affected.

The overflow excavated a hole about 8 feet wide in the roadway, according to the CHP, which responded by closing down the entire eastbound side of the freeway.

With traffic backing up heavily throughout the area, authorities eventually decided to direct motorists stuck on the freeway to turn around and double back on the southern shoulder, then exit at Taylor Street.

No vehicles were damaged when the flooding first appeared, Sanchez said.

City spokesman Arian Collins said a series of 16-inch watermain breaks along Morena Boulevard may have led to the 8-inch pipe failure under the freeway.

The first, around 9:30 a.m., was at Savannah Street and Morena, followed by breaks at Frankfort and Knoxville streets, he said of the possible “domino” effect.

“This is the most I’ve seen happen at one time,” Collins said. “I’ve been here for 20 years.”

He said the flooding wasn’t due to a classic sinkhole, but soil washed away by the burst pipe.

The quick-succession main breaks were not just mere coincidence, according to Collins.

“How exactly they’re related, we’re not sure yet,” he said. “They are more than likely related.”

As of early Thursday evening it was unclear how long it would take crews to repair the broken pipelines and reopen all affected roadways, but Collins said repairs would “take all night at least.”

Collins said some Morena businesses lost water, and expected some hotels in Mission Valley to lose water as well.

— Contributing Photographer Chris Stone and City News Service contributed to this report.

2 Lanes of I-8 East Opened in Wake of Burst Pipe in Mission Valley was last modified: September 15th, 2017 by Ken Stone

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