Two southbound lanes on 14th Street reopen

Crews work to repair a hole and broken sewer line at 14th and F streets Wednesday afternoon. (WTOP/Megan Matthews)
D.C. Water and Sewer Authority General Manager George Hawkins Tuesday (center) stands atop the manhole believed to have crushed a storm drain pipe. Free-flowing water from the drain likely eroded the ground below the roadway, eventually causing the sinkhole that has shut down a major D.C. artery for more than a week. Crews have had to dig multiple holes to complete the repairs. .(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
Crews continue to repair a broken sewer line and related sinkhole (center) at the intersection of 14th and F streets NW Tuesday. Repairs are expected to last through Friday and the cause of the damage remains under investigation. (WTOP/Dick Uliano)
Crews work to repair a hole and broken sewer line at 14th and F streets Wednesday afternoon. (WTOP/Megan Matthews)
Crews work to repair a hole and broken sewer line at 14th and F streets Wednesday afternoon. (WTOP/Megan Matthews)
Crews work to repair a hole and broken sewer line at 14th and F streets Wednesday afternoon. (WTOP/Megan Matthews)
Crews work to repair a hole and broken sewer line at 14th and F streets Wednesday afternoon. (WTOP/Megan Matthews)
Crews work to repair a hole and broken sewer line at 14th and F streets Tuesday afternoon. (WTOP/Megan Matthews)
Early Wednesday morning, the corner of 14th and F streets remained closed. Repairs to a broken sewer main are expected to continue through Thursday. (WTOP/Kristi King)
Early Wednesday morning, the corner of 14th and F streets remained closed. Repairs to a broken sewer main are expected to continue through Thursday. (WTOP/Kristi King)
Crews work to repair a hole and broken sewer line at 14th and F streets Tuesday afternoon. (WTOP/Megan Matthews)
Crews work to repair a hole and broken sewer line at 14th and F streets Tuesday afternoon. (WTOP/Megan Matthews)
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UPDATE: Thursday – 5/23/2013, 5:07pm ET

WASHINGTON – Two southbound lanes of 14th Street NW have now reopened to traffic.

UPDATE: Thursday – 5/23/2013, 3:47pm ET

WASHINGTON – The District will reopen two of the southbound lanes that are currently closed on 14th Street NW between New York Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue NW in time for the Thursday evening rush.

As a result, curbside parking on southbound 14th Street NW between New York and Pennsylvania avenues will be restricted.

Motorists headed eastbound on New York Avenue NW, G Street NW and F Street NW will only be permitted to turn right at 14th Street NW.

Northbound 14th Street between New York Avenue NW and Pennsylvania Avenue NW and F Street NW between 13th and 15th Streets NW will likely remain closed through the Friday.

DDOT advises drivers that are headed northbound on 14th Street to turn at Independence Avenue SW to access an alternate northbound street.

UPDATE: Thursday – 5/23/2013, 5 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON D.C. Water says the 14th Street sinkhole requires complex repairs. The repairs to a 54-inch brick sewer line will likely continue beyond Thursday.

UPDATE: Wednesday – 5/22/2013, 2:45 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON – Commuters will have to deal with the headache of road repairs on 14th Street through Thursday.

The District Department of Transportation now says repairs on 14th and F streets will remain through Thursday night.

DDOT broke the news via its Twitter account.

EARLIER: Wednesday – 5/22/2013, 10:57 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON – Commuters who use 14th Street in Northwest have been dealing with a traffic headache.

Repairs are underway to fix a portion of 14th Street where the road surface collapsed, creating a 15-foot hole and damaging a sewer line.

As a result, the D.C. Department of Transportation said a heavily traveled part of 14th Street would remain closed through Wednesday morning.

The following roads were closed:

  • 14th Street NW between Pennsylvania Avenue NW and New York Avenue NW;
  • F Street NW between 13th and 15th Streets NW.

Commuters are advised to find alternative routes.

Drivers who use the 14th Street Bridge to come into the District from Virginia can turn right onto Constitution Avenue to avoid traffic backups approaching Pennsylvania Avenue.

Or WTOP Traffic suggests that instead of continuing off of the 14th Street Bridge onto lower 14th Street, stay with the northbound Interstate 395/Southeast Freeway and exit onto 12th Street, which will allow drivers to bypass the closure. In Northwest, 12th Street parallels 14th Street.

Crews have been on the scene since Tuesday afternoon repairing the collapsed roadway.

D.C. Water spokeswoman Pamela Mooring says concrete pieces broke through a sewer line Tuesday. The sewer line break compromised the dirt around it, causing the dirt to pour into the line.

The broken line and repairs won’t interrupt water or sewer service for neighboring buildings, Mooring says.

Follow @WTOPTraffic and @WTOP on Twitter for updates.

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