Picozzi said a crew installing a fire hydrant this morning shut down a six-inch valve to a 30-inch water main in preparation for the hydrant install this morning, when the pressure became too much for the valve.
“The six-inch let go,” Picozzi said. He said they have not yet determined why the valve failed.
The break required the DPW to shut down the stretch of Post Road running in front of City Hall, the Central RI Chamber of Commerce, as well as local businesses and churches.
Traffic through Apponaug was diverted along the remainder of the Apponaug Circulator, which has recently been upgraded to allow two-way traffic through the village. Picozzi said that prior to that change, shutting down this section of Post Road would’ve been more than an inconvenience.
“That would’ve been a traffic nightmare,,” Picozzi said. “I guess we put the roudabouts to their first test.”
Avedisian said he expects the road will be reopened to traffic by about 2 p.m.
The Mayor asked communicants of Saint Catherine Church, Saint Barnabas Episcopal Church, Warwick Central Baptist Church and Apponaug Pentecostal Church  to use caution when attending services this weekend.
Author: Rob Borkowski
Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at [email protected] with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.
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