Water Line Break Causes Damage To Tulsa Street

A water main break in East Tulsa is causing major traffic back-ups and some businesses don’t have water.

Crews were able to shut off the water from the 12-inch line break on 11th Street near Highway 169.

However, police still had to close part of the road due to damage to the street.

Repairs are being made to the water main and the road, but many businesses have been without running water for several hours.

Gary Dollahon works at Gene Larew, a business on East 11th Street that makes fishing lures.  He says he was surprised to see so much water when he looked out his front window.

“You could see the water bubbling up big time.  The water really starting to accumulate,” he said.

Shortly after the water levels started to go down, crews saw the road starting to buckle.

“You see all the news about the sinkholes developing around the country and, certainly, main water burst here in Tulsa aren’t uncommon when the temperatures get really hot like they have,” Dollahon said.

He says his business will be okay without water for a few hours, but it is necessary in the manufacturing process.

“It certainly has slowed down what we are doing on the machines that we are continuing to operate,” stated Dollahon.

Amir Orozco, another employee at Gene Larew, says, “I got one big tank and it’s not a problem, but yeah, tomorrow I need water.”

They are hoping crews are able to get the water off the roads and back into their business soon.

“We’re hoping by tomorrow morning we will have water flowing in this building again, but who knows,” said Dollahon.

Crews are working to repair the roadway, but the two outside lanes of East 11th Street are still closed.