Part of Phelps Street closed downtown

YOUNGSTOWN — South Phelps Street will remain closed indefinitely between West Federal and West Front streets while street crews investigate the scope of a sewer line collapse there.

“It’s an old brick sewer built in the 1900s,” said Deputy Director of Public Works Carmen Conglose. “They have a tendency, when you open them up, to kind of collapse like dominos.”

City workers discovered a small damaged portion in the line during a cleaning project about two weeksago, said Conglose. The department is using a camera to survey the damage, before replacing the line with modern materials. A connected water line is also in need of replacement, he said.

Boardman Street remains open to traffic, but the road may need to be closed for short periods over the next several days, Conglose said.