Westbound Boulevard at I-440 closed until Monday due to major water main break

RALEIGH, NC — One of Raleigh’s busiest intersections has been flooded and closed due to a major water main break, and the road won’t reopen until Monday.

The breach caused severe flooding, bent roads and detoured traffic on Western Boulevard near Interstate 440 Wednesday afternoon.

The road is closed between Blue Ridge Road and Cheney Road as crews work on repairs. It will be closed until Monday morning due to unusually thick asphalt and concrete slabs.

All traffic on Western Boulevard is being diverted to the I-440 Beltline in both directions. Detours are in place, drivers should seek alternative routes.

Nothing has been reported about the reasons for the water main break.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation said it does not believe the water main break will affect construction or road work in the area.

Raleigh Water issued a boil water advisory for water users near West Boulevard and I-440 on Wednesday. The city said consumers should boil all water for consumption.

According to the city, customers will be notified when the boil water advisory is canceled.

Some people living in the area told WRAL News they lost water after the outage. As of Thursday afternoon, all but a few customers had service restored.

Jack Susman lives nearby and told WRAL he had his water back on at 2 a.m. He said it was frustrating to go through all the construction at the new intersection, and the burst water main made things even more difficult.

City officials are also hearing reports of low pressure in some nearby areas, likely due to debris from the rupture obstructing water meter screens.

Crews are now digging new pavement to try to contain the leak.

WRAL News has received reports that nearby townhouses are without water due to the break. A Raleigh Water spokesman said it’s a townhouse community near the intersection of Blue Ridge Road and Western Boulevard, along with some homes off Method Road.