Now, We Try to Avoid Ice

Roads could be icy, especially in Middletown, where a pipe burst

The snow is over, now people across Connecticut could be dealing with slippery conditions left behind from the weekend's snowstorm, which dumped more than a foot in some places and just inches in others.

One of the biggest traffic problems, however, is caused not by snow but a broken water main.

Route 66 in Middletown is closed because of the break under an electrical duct and police are asking drivers to avoid Main Street, between Liberty and Grand streets, until noon.

Water department officials said the break could not be in a worse place. 

The break in Middletown was first spotted just after midnight and within a few minutes, crews had a geyser on their hands.

One block of Main Street is without water, including the St. Vincent DePaul soup kitchen, which will remain open but there will be no hot meals and the bathrooms are closed. A few small businesses and the community health center are also affected. Anyone with an appointment this morning at the community health center should call first.

After the water was turned off, crews had to sand the area carefully because the cold temperatures caused the road to ice up quickly.

While the water break is causing problems in Middletown, State police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance says some parts of state highways could be icy on Monday morning and drivers should allow extra time to get to work.

Troopers responded to 92 accidents over the weekend, including eight with injuries, and had more than 1,200 other calls including spinouts and drivers stuck in the snow.

Bradley International Airport had numerous delays and cancellations over the weekend, but officials are expecting a normal Monday.

The storm hit the southeast part of the state the hardest, dumping up to 20 inches of snow.
 
Long after the remnants of the storm are gone, water department officials think water main breaks problems will continue.

Tom Tetrault, of the Middletown Water Department, said because we had a lot of rain, the ground is really wet and when it got cold quickly, so you get a lot of movement in the ground.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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