Water main breaks close Pittsburgh-area road, mall

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Two water main breaks have closed a two-mile stretch of a major business artery north of Pittsburgh and, for now, one of the region’s largest malls.

Officials say the first break occurred about 2 a.m. today and another was reported two hours later on McKnight Road in Ross Township, which is also known as U.S. Route 19. The breaks caused the pavement to buckle in several areas and sent water rushing along the highway which was freezing in many spots as temperatures hovered in the teens.

The Ross Park Mall was to remain closed through at least Friday morning. Officials are hoping to reopen at some point in the day, but say it’s unclear whether that will occur.

The road closure was causing major delays on nearby roads used as detours.