Investigates

Officials: Collapsed pipe likely cause of recent McKnight Road flooding

ROSS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — After several recent incidents of flooding along McKnight Road in Ross Township, officials said Friday that a collapsed pipe is believed to be causing it.

The 60-inch collapsed pipe was discovered underneath McKnight Road. Public Works Director Michael Funk told Channel 11's Aaron Martin that the collapse is 20 feet deep and is likely to blame for repeated flooding on the road this summer, including on Thursday afternoon, near Ross Park Mall.

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Crews were seen Friday cleaning sewers along McKnight Road ahead of what's expected to be more heavy rain Friday afternoon and night. They were also excavating behind buildings.

"The torrential rain we had with the car stuck on McKnight Road, that was a two-inch rain, which I could see happening," Funk said. "After that, we're having three quarters or one inch of rain and having the same amount of flooding. That was unacceptable."

Funk said Friday’s rainfall could lead to more flooding.

A sinkhole was found on private property nearby. The pipe runs four miles from McCandless to the Red Lobster on McKnight Road.

Funk said the pipe is more than 50 years old and well past its life expectancy.

"We're going to get some water. There's nothing we can do until we dig down," Funk said. "The pipe is 22 feet deep, it's a five foot pipe so this is not something that's easily done."

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Digging could begin as early as Friday night and Funk says replacing the 60 feet of pipe will likely take about a week.

The collapsed sewage line is the latest issue to plague busy McKnight Road. In August 2014, a large sinkhole opened up in a parking lot along the road and swallowed a car. Officials said this is believed to be the same pipe that is currently causing problems.

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The possibility of more flooding on McKnight Road is frustrating for drivers who use it daily.

"Every time it rains, they shut down the roadway, it doesn't make sense," Ross Township resident Bob Thomas said. "There has to be some kind of way to alleviate the problem or at least make it a little bit better."

Heavy machinery will be brought in Friday night to begin digging up the broken pipe.

Funk says problems with the aging pipe will likely continue, but for now he's focused on drivers staying safe.

"My board and engineers are going to sit down and look at this and see where we're at," Funk said. "There's really nothing to decide today, my job today is to keep McKnight Road from flooding."

 

Cox Media Group

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