CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The deep freeze has caused about two dozen water mains to burst in the Charlotte area in the last 48 hours.
One of the bigger breaks shut down traffic on South Hoskins Road for much of the day. It's a prime example of the water main problems that have been caused by single-digit temperatures.
Crews spent more than six hours at South Hoskins Road Friday after water came bubbling up out of the pavement.
[ IMAGES: Burst pipes create dangerous road conditions ]
Water also seeped into the street Friday morning at Matthews Township and Independence Point parkways, Matthews police said.
Public work officials determined that the irrigation system for a nearby business leaked into the street. Officials salted the road and sidewalk.
[ Action 9: Prevent pipes from freezing during cold snap ]
Freezing temperatures cause the ground under the road to heave, and that then causes the pipes to break. The breaks cause dangerous conditions for drivers because the water quickly freezes on the road.
For 48 hours now, crews have had their hands full repairing breaks across the city.
"It's hard. It's subfreezing. It's hard, grueling work in the best of conditions, and this kind of weather - it's even tougher," Barry Gullet, the Charlotte Water System director, said.
Getting the pipes repaired and the water back on is just part of the challenge. A lot of workers Channel 9 spoke to Friday had no choice but to spend hours in the freezing weather.
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