Water main break causes stretch of 3rd Avenue South to close in downtown Minneapolis

A pipe that burst early Monday morning in downtown Minneapolis caused streets to flood and city workers to close a stretch of 3rd Avenue South.

Minneapolis city officials say a water main broke shortly after 5 a.m. at Washington and 3rd avenues south.

City workers believe the break is isolated to that area, and the five properties located next to the break don’t have water service.

As of this time, 3rd Avenue South is closed between Washington Avenue South and 3rd Street, and traffic is being rerouted. Until pavement is restored, traffic will continue to be impacted.

City officials add they hope to restore water service in the area later on Monday.

The public is asked to avoid this area while crews work to remove and replace the broken pipe. Video shot by a 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS photographer early Monday showed fire crews responding to start the cleanup process.

Fluctuating temperatures have led to a lot of freezing and thawing, which can cause plumbing issues, but it isn’t clear if that is what caused this break.

An interactive traffic map showing current conditions can be found below.