Major water main break closes Huntington Avenue, other streets

A water main break in the outbound lanes of Huntington Avenue flooded the street and forced closures in both sides of the Boston-Brookline line. Boston Fire Department

A major water main break Monday night sent water shooting into the frigid air from Huntington Avenue and forced the closure of several streets in Boston and Brookline before it was contained, officials said.

The Boston Water and Sewer Commission urged motorists to avoid roads near the Longwood Medical Area on Tuesday morning as repairs continued overnight.

Water is controlled at this time. Crews will remain on scene overnight for repairs. Tuesday AM commuters should avoid the area if possible. https://t.co/WyMflZ335v

— BWSC (@BOSTON_WATER) January 2, 2018

Huntington Avenue, River Road, and the Riverway in Boston, and the Riverway and Washington Street in Brookline were closed.

Sean Navin, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, which maintains the main, said a frozen valve caused the break.

Crews were able to isolate the valve and stop the water at around 10:30 p.m., nearly three hours after the break.

There was no interruption in service to customers, Navin said. Crews from the MWRA and the city’s water department remained on scene with the Department of Public Works and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation to treat the roads.

The extreme cold turned flood waters to ice, resulting in slippery, frozen streets.

The break occurred at 7:49 p.m. in the middle of the outbound lanes of Huntington Avenue, just past the Riverway overpass, according to tweets from the Boston Fire Department.

Both sides of Washington Street were shut down between Huntington Avenue in Boston and Pond Avenue in Brookline, according to tweets from Brookline police.

Water main break on Washington St near River Rd. Both sides of Washington St shut down between Huntington Ave (Boston) and Pond Ave (Brookline) due to ice covering the roadway #551 pic.twitter.com/uWgDxjWCo5

— Brookline PD (@BrooklineMAPD) January 2, 2018