MILWAUKEE — As cold temperatures moved into the area, several drivers on Milwaukee’s east side found their cars frozen to the street Sunday after a service pipe leak.
Near North Stowell Avenue and East Belleview Place, thick ice trapped multiple vehicles, leaving some drivers stuck for the entire day.
Watch here: Why some on Milwaukee's east side spent their Sunday trying to break their cars out of ice.
“The right side of my car is about four to five inches deep in the ice,” Sarah Rome, whose car froze in place Sunday afternoon, said. “I was trying to go to the gym and didn’t think much would be stuck besides my windshield.”
Rome spent more than an hour trying to free her car with no luck.
Residents said the problem has occurred repeatedly. Alexis Cimoch said her car froze in the same spot about three weeks earlier.
“The process was insane,” Cimoch said. “It took a lot of people to help, about three hours in the middle of the workday. We had shovels, and someone even brought a pickaxe.”
A city sign posted along Stowell Avenue restricts parking from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays for street repairs. Neighbors said the signs had remained posted for weeks and that they did not see repair crews in the area before Sunday.
Milwaukee Water Works said the issue does not involve a water main break. A leak from a service pipe that leads into a nearby building caused the water, according to the utility, and the location of the pipe complicated repairs.
Water Works said crews could not access the leak because vehicles parked over the service line had frozen in place.
If drivers can move those vehicles, repairs could begin as early as Monday.
Milwaukee Water Works said crews planned to apply calcium chloride to the area Sunday evening to help break up the ice overnight. The utility said it will keep water service on during the repairs.
The utility asked owners of vehicles frozen in the street to call its 24-hour control center at (414) 286-3710. Crews will meet drivers on site to help free their vehicles.
With cold temperatures expected to continue, neighbors encouraged drivers to plan ahead.
“My advice is plan ahead, take your time, and invest in some salt and chains,” Rome said.
This story was reported on-air by Kaylee Staral and converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. TMJ4’s editorial team verifies all reporting for accuracy and fairness.
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