A water main break along the Westbound Service Road of Route 3 created a nightmare of traffic problems and reduced water pressure throughout the town of Secaucus for several hours on Jan. 7.
Freezing conditions turned the gushing water into a sheet of ice, forcing town officials to declare a temporary state of emergency and state officials to close down the roadway and divert traffic.
Traffic was backed up all the way into the Lincoln Tunnel and created traffic snarls throughout many other roadways in North Bergen and Jersey City Heights.
Town officials were alerted to a possible problem as early as 11 p.m. on Jan. 6 when the Secaucus Volunteer Fire Department received alarms indicating a fluctuation in the water pressure, but the break did not occur until five hours later with the first report of water at about 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 7.
Two water mains run along that area, officials said, but it was not clear which of the two was the source of the break or when the mains were installed in that area. Route 3 was constructed in the 1940s, but the service road was constructed later, coinciding with some of the Hartz Mountain mall and business buildings during the 1960s. The break occurred near the Service Road exit to the Mall at Mill Creek.
Mayor Dennis Elwell said the local office of Emergency Management, the Secaucus Police and Fire departments and representatives from the state and United Water responded to the scene, where a portion of the roadway collapsed. The town also sent health and building inspectors to the scene.
Although local schools were closed as a result of the emergency, Elwell said residents were not instructed to boil water because water pressure did not fall significantly enough to pose a health risk.
As a precaution, Deputy Fire Chief Raymond Ciecuich negotiated with area towns to supply drinking water in case there was a problem.
Town officials said water pressure in town was restored by late afternoon.
Elwell said an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the break – although he said it was likely the result of the cold – and to see if there might be any additional concerns in the future.
“We took precautions we thought necessary,” Elwell said. “But we’re not concerned.”