MILWAUKEE — A scheduled maintenance project turned into a major disruption for Riverwest residents after a large water main flooded streets and left a massive hole at the intersection of North Humboldt and East Concordia.
According to Milwaukee Water Works, it happened Monday evening.
TMJ4's drone footage reveals the extensive damage at the intersection, with exposed pipes, pooling water, and chunks of pavement piled in the median.
"It's a big mess, last night was really a big mess," a Riverwest resident, Gregory Brulla said.
Brulla returned home Monday night to find water rushing through his neighborhood.
"When I pulled into the alley in the back and I saw how flooded the alley was, I was like a huge ball of anxiety," Brulla said.
He was concerned about potential basement flooding as water poured from the main. Fortunately, Brulla's basement stayed dry, though he still faced cleanup outside his home.
"Luckily, I had water. So I was able to like spray all the good inch and half cake of mud that was on the sidewalk," Brulla said.
Watch: Riverwest neighbors react to massive hole in road after water main issue
The aftermath has become something of a neighborhood attraction, especially for younger residents. Five-year-old Artemis stopped on his way to dinner to examine the massive hole.
"A big hole from the flood," Artemis said when asked what he saw. When asked if he witnessed the flooding, she confirmed, "Yep! It was like all water pouring down there."
"It's the widest. But not the deepest," Artemis said about the hole.
The water main incident has forced the closure of part of Humboldt Boulevard, a heavily traveled thoroughfare that saw major closures just a few years ago for road construction.
"My biggest thing is I want them to put concrete back after having this beautiful road put in," Brulla said.
According to Milwaukee Water Works, the water main has been taken out of service, and repair work will continue into early next week.
This story was reported by Megan Lee and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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