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Smallman Street back open following nearly monthlong closure due to water main break

PITTSBURGH — Smallman Street in the Strip District is back open following a water main break last month.

Related >>> Several blocks of Strip District street remain closed days after water main break

The break occurred in a 36-inch line on Smallman Street at 15th Street on May 21.

According to the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, the force of the break caused the surrounding pavement to crack.

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Crews had to remove 1,500 tons of concrete and asphalt before any repair work could begin. But PWSA acted quickly, and in just a couple of days, had brought in 600 feet of pipe to repair the line.

PWSA said instead of just making an emergency, the water company used the opportunity to replaced 506 feet of the water main to avoid a repair in the future and coordinated work with other utilities while the ground was open. Verizon, Duquesne Light and Peoples Gas upgraded their underground structures and the city installed new sidewalks and curbs.

All of the work took 26 days and 624 crew hours and is estimated to have cost $1.5 million.

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