After surviving days of sub-zero temperatures with no damage to infrastructure, the city of Chadron’s luck ran out this morning when a water main broke in the 700 block of East 6th Street – sending water running north on Cedar Street.
City Manager Tom Menke says city crews are working hard to keep the water in the curb, but that the effort is hampered by ice from the intermittent snow of the last week.
Menke also says street crews are working with crews from the Utilities Department to try to limit more ice being created, but warns that Cedar Street will have additional hazards for drivers until the broken main is repaired and ice can be removed.
Menke asks drivers and residents to avoid that area of town while crews are busy working.
Disruptions from the situation are much less than they would normally be on a Monday because the Chadron public schools were closed today because of the on-going Wind Chill Warning.
Chadron High School is just south of the affected area on Cedar Street while Chadron Middle School is a couple blocks to the west on 6th Street.