Interstate 694 is expected to reopen this weekend in Oakdale, Minnesota, after a water pipe broke beneath the interstate, causing a giant sinkhole and water to flow onto the interstate on Sunday, Dec. 3.
The broken water main has been repaired and backfill work is under way, according to the City of Oakdale.
The closure has been from I-94 on the south to Hwy. 36 on the north, officials said. However, drivers have been allowed to get onto the interstate from 10th Street to head south to I-94, and from County Road 14 to head north to Hwy. 36.
The section of interstate that’s affected in the east metro area of the Twin Cities. Traffic is being rerouted to I-94, I-35E and Hwy. 36, and traffic has been backing up for miles during the morning and evening rush hours.
The problem was first noticed in the southbound lane, near the 15th Street overpass, about 6 a.m. Dec. 3. Water pressure in some parts of the suburb of Oakdale dropped temporarily.
No information is yet available on what caused the break in the 12-inch-diameter pipe connected to the municipal water supply broke.
The affected section of interstate carries about 87,000 vehicles a day. according to DOT spokesman Kevin Gutknecht.