A water main break over the weekend in the West End didn’t just cause disruptions for drivers.
Virginia American Water responded to a water main break on a 12-inch main near the 700 block of S. Pickett Street on the afternoon of Saturday (Sept. 19).
In a social media video update, Mayor Alyia Gaskins said businesses — particularly at Van Dorn Plaza and in surrounding intersections on S. Van Dorn and Pickett Streets — were impacted when water was shut off for repairs.
The water main break had also closed the S. Pickett and Van Dorn Street intersection.
“Because traffic had to be diverted, a lot of the customers that would have visited them on Saturday were not able to get to their businesses,” Gaskins said. “As we know, that can cause small businesses to take a huge hit.”
The mayor encouraged residents to visit the West End for shopping and dining to support the affected businesses.
The water main break happened around 2 p.m. Saturday, causing significant amounts of water to enter the roadway around S. Van Dorn and Pickett Streets. Drivers experienced heavier-than-usual traffic in the area since traffic was detoured around the water main break. Virginia American Water shut off the water on scene and made repairs from about 2 p.m. to after 9 p.m.
Gaskins said the city found damage to the roads around the water main break, prompting crews to do patchwork. Work continued Sunday into Monday to clean up mud and gravel from the roads.
Video screenshot via Alexandria Police Department/Facebook
