Water Main Break Shuts Down Stretch of Biscayne Boulevard

Kyle Munzenrieder

An empty and slightly damp Biscayne Boulevard.

​A rare sight at the intersection of Biscayne Boulevard and NE 35th Street today: no traffic.

That's because southbound Biscayne is blocked off between NE 33rd and 36th streets following a water main break caused during reconstruction along the road.

Workers were installing a 24-inch pipe around 1 p.m. when a backhoe hit a drinking-water pipe, causing gallons of water to flow into a parking lot under the Regions Bank and into Biscayne Bay. Most of the water has already subsided.

The Florida Department of Transportation expects the stretch of road to be reopened by the weekend and possibly by tonight.

Meanwhile, drivers are being diverted to NE Second Avenue. Many motorists, unaware of what was going on, shouted to pedestrians to find out what had happened.

Some drivers coming down NE Second attempted to turn onto Biscayne Boulevard, unaware they'd be diverted right back in a few blocks.

Kyle Munzenrieder

Traffic being diverted to NE Second Avenue at NE 33rd Street.