Walnut Creek water main break repairs will last into Saturday, officials say

Broken Water main disrupts Walnut Creek commutes

A water main at Ygnacio Valley Road and Homestead Avenue — one of the city's busiest thoroughfares — broke Thursday morning, leaving cars backed up for miles while crews worked to repair the damage.

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Lane closures on a main thoroughfare in Walnut Creek caused by a water main break are now expected to remain in place into Saturday, extending major traffic disruptions.

In an advisory around 7:30 a.m., the Walnut Creek Police Department said lanes of Ygnacio Valley Road in both the eastbound and westbound directions near Homestead Avenue remain closed while repair crews work to restore the damaged water main. The closure was announced around 5:20 p.m. Thursday.

It turns out the busted 16-inch pipe came with a not-so-simple repair beneath one of Walnut Creek's busiest thoroughfares. 

"The repairs are more complicated because we've had to navigate a number of other utilities underground. We've been in lockstep with the City of Walnut Creek. We've worked with PG&E and other utilities to make this repair," Tracie Morales of the East Bay Municipal Utility District said. 

As a result, crews had to shut down the middle lanes of Ygnacio Valley Road in both directions — with crews in place directing traffic. 

While some drivers had a heads-up, others found themselves caught off guard. 

"3pm on a Friday, couldn't be a worse time," Walnut Creek resident CJ said. Oh, man. It turned what should have been a three-minute trip into what felt like 22 minutes."

Some people say they were stuck in traffic for up to 40 minutes on Friday. Utility workers were grateful to those taking the delay in stride. 

"We really appreciate the patience that drivers are showing us in this area," said Morales. "If you can take an alternate route, that's really your best option."