Section of Arundel loses phone service in accident

About 3,800 Verizon customers remained without telephone service late yesterday afternoon after six large phone cables were damaged last week, company officials said.

A contractor digging underground to lay conduits for the power company hit the cables on Friday afternoon, said Verizon spokeswoman Sandra Arnette.

Up to 11,000 customers - mostly residential - might have been affected, she said. Service should be fully restored by Thursday, Arnette said.

Crews have been working around the clock along Route 175 near Route 32 to repair the lines and replace sections of cable that were severed.