DANVERS — A ramp to Route 128 north reopened yesterday afternoon, more than 24 hours after it was closed by a ruptured water main.
The ramp from Route 62 east (Elliott Street) to Route 128 north reopened just before 3 p.m. yesterday.
The Liberty Street water main, which is owned by and delivers water to the city of Salem, ruptured around 10:30 a.m. Thursday, buckling the roadway.
It was simply old age that caused the 30-inch pipe to break, said Ron Malionek, assistant director of public services for the city of Salem.
Workers had the pipe repaired by midnight, and the hole was filled in and the roadway repaved through yesterday afternoon.
However, water won't start flowing through the repaired pipe until Monday, out of concern for the freezing temperatures. When the main is reactivated and flushed Monday, Salem residents may see "little to no" discoloration of their water, Malionek said.
It is perfectly safe to drink, he said, but residents may want to refrain from washing clothes until the water runs clear.
Because Salem has multiple water lines coming into the city, Malionek said no one lost water pressure "for any length of time" while the Danvers pipe was out of commission.
Salem officials made automated phone calls to residents Thursday and yesterday informing them of the break and notifying them that their water may be discolored.
The break sent water cascading down Liberty Street, which is being used as the primary connection between Route 62 and Route 128 north during a state interchange project.
At first, the break caused the intersection of Elliott and Liberty streets to flood, and it was temporarily closed. A Salem Department of Public Services crew shut the water main around noon on Thursday.
Malionek lauded the city workers and contractors who worked to have the ramp reopened by yesterday evening's commuting time.
They had the pipe "up and fixed within a good 12 hours of the break," he said.
Staff writer Bethany Bray can be reached at bbray@salemnews.com and on Twitter @SalemNewsBB.
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