MEN AT WORK--THE REST OF THE STORY

Who Knew?

Unbeknownst to me, there was much more going on beneath the surface of Melrose Street than I realized. A lot more! Because by the time I returned from shopping, the street had been closed, and there were more trucks and workers digging out the hole that had been filled in earlier. 

And by the look of things, there had been a lot water flowing from the hole and running down the street.

In fact, the hole now was so deep that it required a metal box to be lowered in to shore up the sides so they could work.

And here was the problem. There was a leak in the lead fitting which had saturated the fill dirt surrounding the main which caused the road to sink.  All they had to do now is turn off the water that was still flowing so they could cut out the leaking part and put in the new piece. 

Here is the bright and shiny new piece they would use to join the two sides and fix the problem. It looks like a work of art in its own right.

Apparently shutting down the flow of water was easier said than done, because in the interim, the main burst a bigger leak and water was now bubbling and gushing from the hole and running down the street. While this looked spectacular to me, according to one of the workers I spoke with, I had missed the initial geyser that had been taller than the nearby houses. Dang!

Eventually the workers were able to close the valves and stop the water flow so they could repair the break in the main. Here a dump truck filled with gravel waits to dump its load creating a artistic reflection in a muddy puddle.

And by the time I came outside again, the hole had been filled in with gravel and dirt and was being tamped down to keep everything in place. 

Tracks in the mud caught my photographer's eye.

Tah-dah! This is how the hole looked this morning after cars had driven over it. I imagine workers will return in a day or so to finish with asphalt, 

but then, who knows? 

I got it completely wrong the first time.