Broken line revealed lots of damage

CLEVELAND (AP) — An aging water main that broke three weeks ago at a major downtown intersection, collapsing part of the street and flooding basements in at least four buildings, also caused other damage, city officials said Thursday.

The break on March 6 caused about 10 million gallons of water to spill out of a car-sized hole and onto surrounding streets in the Public Square area.

Construction and road crews at the site have also discovered there were breaks in two other water mains and damage to a sewer main, a gas line, electrical connections and various cables for utilities.

Thomas Grdina, manager at the nearby Standard Building, said he’s also concerned that an underground tunnel that was flooded and connects his building with another will lead to more road collapses. He said he warned Cleveland officials that the underground woes are more than they realize.

“My concern was that if the tunnel were to collapse, you’d have a street above that might collapse with it,” Grdina said.

City officials downplay any concern that the tunnel, built in 1924, might cave in. “I’m refuting that in the strongest possible terms,” said Ken Silliman, chief of staff for Mayor Frank Jackson.

Larry Ho, the city’s structural engineer, inspected the tunnel Wednesday and found water leakage and some deterioration, including cracks, but no risk of a collapse. The concrete walls, floor and ceiling were sound, except from some missing pieces, he said Thursday.

“I hired an engineer last week, and I’m waiting for his report, too, on that matter,” Grdina said. “We’re still getting water in this tunnel, which we have been pumping since March 6.

“Now I’m still concerned,” Grdina said. “I just want to make sure it’s safe.”

Silliman said Cleveland’s struggles with its underground infrastructure, including water pipes more than 100 years old, are no different from what exists in other cities across the nation.