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Water Main Break Causes Sinkhole In Denver Road

DENVER (CBS4) - Crews from Denver Water are repairing a stretch of road in southwest Denver where a sinkhole formed after a water main break on Tuesday.

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The water main break responsible for the sinkhole happened early Tuesday morning.

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It is located on South Lowell Boulevard near West Greenwood Place, just north of Highway 285.

About six feet of pipe burst and even more cracked as a result of the pressure. Denver Water told CBS4 at least 13 feet of pipe will have to be replaced.

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About five homes near the break were without water on Tuesday. Other residents said the break caused some issues with muddy water.

"It sounded like a creek... it was a rush of water, you could hear it," said resident Burke Brewster.

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"It sounded like it was raining or like a river was running down the road. It was kind of weird. I had the window open in the living room and I could hear it through there and I came and looked out the window and saw the water rolling over the top of the cars across the street," said resident Bill Hevener.

The cause of the break is hard to pinpoint but Denver Water said it could be a combination of things that include the age of the pipe, it was installed in the 1950s, the material, corrosion, water fluctuation and a change in temperature.

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A portion of Lowell has been shut down just north of Greenwood Place while the repairs continue. Crews hope to have a temporary patch by 8 p.m. on Tuesday and then will complete repairs on Wednesday morning.

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