The FDNY responded to a water main break at a construction site on Broadway and Van Cortlandt Park South on Wednesday that also caused concerns about a crane collapse.
The call for the break at 5925 and 5969 Broadway came in at 10:34 a.m. The site is half an elementary school and half housing.
Nearby roads have since reopened following closures on the Major Deegan Expressway in both directions from West 230th Street to Van Cortlandt Park South, but other issues remained.
Fire officials say their main concern was the water entering the construction site, which is fairly large with a 300-foot crane right in the middle of it. They said when water gets into these areas, they get concerned with undermining of the footing for the crane.
The crane has since been deemed safe and stable by fire officials. Officials say they cleared the area of foot and car traffic around the site to be safe while they awaited the information on the crane's stability.
Trains on the Broadway line were operating at slower speeds.
According to the city Department of Environmental Protection, private contractor Metropolitan Water & Sewer struck the water main.
The DEP says the break has been isolated, so no customers are without water. A timeline for a fix is currently unclear, but some were dealing with water pressure issues
Site developer Tishman Speyer said in a statement, “A subcontractor at our Van Cortlandt Park South construction site inadvertently struck a water main this morning. As public safety is our highest priority, we immediately alerted all relevant New York City agencies, which are now on site. We are working in close collaboration with the Office of Emergency Management, FDNY, DEP and DOB to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. We are committed to preserving the safety and quality of life of the communities we serve, and we apologize for the inconvenience this situation has caused local residents."
Residents living and working along Broadway tell News 12 this morning's water main break caused them to go without power.
"Our power shut off for about 45 minutes," said Derrick Bennett, a car salesman at Riverdale Chrysler Jeep dealership.
Bennett tells News 12 he called 911 when he noticed the water getting close to the dealership.
“We've seen water flowing coming towards 240th and Broadway, so I said I better call the fire department before it ends up being a disaster and destroying my cars," said Bennett.
Power is now restored in the area as Con Edison remains on the scene to finish further repairs.
The Department of Buildings says a partial stop work order has been placed on the construction site. The department has no concerns about whether or not the crane on scene is unstable because of the water. However, it has marked it off limits until flooding can be cleared.
