A water main burst at the corner of Park and Bartlet streets Tuesday afternoon, shutting down several businesses along Park and Main streets.
The break in the water main — involving a six-inch-wide pipe believed to be about 68 years old — was patched by about 7 p.m. Tuesday, according Andover Water and Sewer Superintendent Morris Gray. Many downtown restaurants — including Park Street Pub, Dominos, Starbucks, Casa Blanca and Orange Leaf — were closed because they are required to have running water to be open, under Board of Health laws.
The break was first reported around noon Tuesday. Town crews watched it, hoping that "we could get these businesses through the night," said Gray. But as the water flow increased over time, water service was shut down at around 4 p.m.
"We didn't want the sides of the pipe blowing out," said Gray.
Water service was interrupted along all of Park Street from Main to Florence streets, and along nearby parts of Main Street.
David Pierre, owner of Orange Leaf on Park Street, stood outside of his closed frozen yogurt shop as crews dug through the road, searching for the leak.
"You can't run a business without water," said Pierre, who opened last year. "It is unfortunate on a 60-degree weather day. Kills us. We would have been cranking.
"Nothing you can do about it," said Pierre. "It is one of the unfortunate parts of business. You get a night off, and nobody wants that."
