The Texas Department of Transportation has weighed in on Gladewater’s line break on Hwy. 271 and put the repair project on hold for two weeks.
City crews were at work on the messed up water main Wednesday and today with plans to finish the repair by Friday – according to the directive from the state roads agency, however, US 271 shouldn’t be shut down for 48 hours.
City Manager Charlie Smith said the city will make the needed repairs with cut-off valves on Feb. 14.
As Public Works employees repair the 12-inch main break on the highway near Gladewater Primary School, they’ve called in the cavalry to help find a fix that won’t involve cutting off the community’s water during the process.
The line has no cut-off valves, Mayor Scott Owens confirmed, and a specialist was brought in to narrow down the problem. It requires road closure on 271 between Lafayette and the loop, though, for a special procedure that should give the workers the means to isolate the broken section and cut off that specific area of flow without opening the floodgates while a cut-off valve is installed.
City officials targeted completion of the work during the current shutdown of Gladewater ISD schools (until Monday due to illness), but those plans are now on hold until the middle of the month.