BILLINGS - The frigid cold has moved out of Billings, but it left behind damage.
Crews fixed a water main break Thursday on Fourth Avenue North between North 31st Street and North 30th Street.
That break partially flooded Sixth Avenue North at North 31st Street.
The break slowed traffic through downtown Billings and even backed up for blocks at rush hour.
Crews began repairs of the water line in the morning and finished up late in the afternoon.
Traffic was down to one lane almost all day due to standing water and ice.
The public works department anticipates these types of incidents during the winter.
“We always know it's coming,” said Scott Emerick, city of Billings distribution and collection superintendent. “It's kind of looming out there when it gets cold. The frost starts penetrating the ground, and it starts exerting pressures on the... water mains, and then we start seeing them break. We do anticipate having to do these types of repairs. And we're tooled up to do it. Fortunately, the weather is getting warmer so it's not as brutal of working conditions out there for our men.”
Emerick said the water main on Fourth Avenue North was installed in 1922.
It's a cast iron pipe, and the repair was made with PVC pipe.
He says crews also fixed a water main on Beth Drive between Rimrock Road and Poly Drive on Thursday.
And four water main breaks had to be fixed last weekend.
The city does warn of additional flooding in the coming days across the city as this snow begins to melt from the warmer temperatures.
