SAUGUS — A water main burst on Route 1 South Wednesday morning, forcing the closure of two lanes of traffic and the removal of an overhead sign on the highway, and causing traffic backups on the bustling expressway.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation first tweeted about a break in town at 5:56 a.m. Wednesday in the area of the highway just before the Lynn Fells Parkway. All travel lanes were reopened after 7 a.m., but the two right lanes of the highway were again shuttered once officials determined the sign had been structurally compromised due to soil erosion.
The right and breakdown lanes on the highway were closed for much of Wednesday afternoon, with crews working in the area of Prince Pizzeria. A construction crew appeared to be drilling to access the water main.
Town Manager Scott Crabtree said water was off from Taco Bell to Eastern Bank on the southern side of the highway, with roughly five to 10 businesses in total impacted. It was not immediately clear whether water had been restored.
The main break was about four feet deep but located “right next” to the concrete support for the traffic sign in question, Crabtree said.
Officials could not immediately confirm which sign was coming down due to the break.
All lanes of the highway were reopened at around 6 p.m.
