tikistitch

Pipe break, sinkhole keep University Bridge closed through Thursday evening

A street south of the University Bridge collapsed this morning when a large water main broke and sent two cars into a ravine and water gushing from the hole.

The University Bridge will remain closed at least through Thursday evening's commute after a street south of the bridge collapsed this morning when a large water main broke and sent two cars into a sinkhole.

Gregg Hirakawa, spokesman for the Seattle Department of Transportation, said the bridge will stay closed as workers try to remove the two cars. It has proven difficult because there isn't enough room under the bridge to get a tow truck to the vehicles. A backhoe was brought in to try to extract the vehicles.

The bridge was closed around 7:45 a.m., disrupting the morning commute and forcing Metro Transit to reroute buses. The bridge won't re-open until 9 p.m. Thursday at the earliest, officials said Wednesday evening.

....or, why it took us 90 minutes to get in from Cap Hill this morning.