March 11, 2005|By Phillip McGowan | Phillip McGowan,SUN STAFF
A stretch of road near Route 198 in Maryland City will remain closed until at least today for repairs from a water main break that began Wednesday night and lasted nearly 14 hours.
Crews from the county Department of Public Works responded to the break at Red Clay Road that occurred around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. The situation was compounded, officials said, when workers struck an unmarked gas line four hours later halting most repairs until Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. workers sealed that line and rerouted gas service to customers in Maryland City and the Russett Community.
County officials said sediment stirred up from the force of the main break turned the water from some residents' taps brown. Workers completed water-line repairs around 10 a.m.
County spokeswoman Pam Jordan said Maryland City residents, south of Route 198, were most affected by the break.
"It's disconcerting to see brown water," said Jordan, who stressed that the water supply was safe. She said that some residents may have experienced low water pressure.
BGE crews had to wait until the water line was repaired before replacing a section of high-pressurized plastic gas line.
Red Clay Road bisects the Maryland City Plaza and the Corridor Marketplace shopping center. The quarter-mile stretch will remain closed between Route 198 and Barbersville Road until a contractor can repair road erosion caused by the prolonged flow of water.
Residents with water problems should call the Department of Public Works at 410-222-8400.
