A major water main break forced road closures near the National Mall over the weekend, leaving crews scrambling to make repairs before the crush of the Monday morning commute.
The 24-inch-diameter main on Constitution Avenue broke Friday evening, causing extensive road damage. The break closed Constitution Avenue between 9th Street NW and 12th Street NW, according to the D.C. Department of Transportation and D.C. Water. Tenth Street NW was also closed from Constitution Avenue to Pennsylvania Avenue.
The streets were open to pedestrians walking around the Mall.
The Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of Natural History was closed Saturday due to the break.
D.C. Water spokeswoman Pamela Mooring said authorities hoped the water main break would be fixed Saturday or Sunday. But road repairs, she said, could last until close to the morning rush hour on Monday.
“I think it’s going to be pretty tight,” Mooring said.
She said the roads would take time to repair because the damage covered a large area.
Transportation Department spokesman John Lisle said the streets would probably be closed throughout the weekend. He said authorities may make temporary repairs to allow roads to open Monday, then complete the work next weekend.
Water was shut off Saturday at the Museum of Natural History, Department of Justice and Internal Revenue Service, all located on the blocks surrounding the break.
Smithsonian officials said they didn’t know when water pressure would be restored at the natural history museum or when the museum would re-open.
But the museum didn’t sustain any water damage, Smithsonian spokeswoman Linda St. Thomas said.
Some tourists who tried to visit the natural history museum Saturday were disappointed, but most said they would just head down the street to another museum.
“It’s upsetting,” said Steve Gardner of Louisville, Ky., who was visiting the Mall with his family. Gardner, who grew up in D.C., said the natural history museum is one of his favorite cultural attractions. His niece, Victoria Vorholt, said she had been looking forward to seeing the gems.
An IRS spokeswoman said the water shut down had little impact on the agency because the building is largely empty on weekends.
Justice Department officials could not be reached Saturday.
