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Water main break closes Girard Avenue in Fishtown

Crews are working to determine what repairs will be needed to fix the main.

Work crews continue their efforts to fix a water main break that closed Girard Avenue in Fishtown Thursday.
Work crews continue their efforts to fix a water main break that closed Girard Avenue in Fishtown Thursday.Read moreJOSE F. MORENO / Staff Photographer

Girard Avenue was closed in Philadelphia's Fishtown section Thursday morning after an overnight water main break.

The break in the 20-inch main at Girard Avenue and Marlborough Street was reported about 11 p.m. Wednesday and Philadelphia Water Department crews succeeded to turn off the flow overnight.

Girard Avenue has been closed between Frankford and Columbia Avenues because of the break. That, in turn, has blocked the side streets that feed into the closed section.

John DiGiulio, a PWD spokesman, told reporters at the scene that crews will have to dig up the street to look at the damaged main to determine what repairs will be needed.

DiGiulio said later repairs might take awhile since gas lines and roadway surfaces are also involved.

Buildings on one side of Girard between Frankford and Marlborough will likely have their water shut off until sometime later Thursday, officials say.

SEPTA says the Route 15B bus is being detoured around the closed section of Girard Avenue. (The bus has been operating in place of the Route 15 trolley because of the I-95/Richmond Street construction project. The trolley is operating as usual on its shortened route.)

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