Chicago Area Local News

CHICAGO (CBS) ― A water main break in the Ravenswood neighborhood turned a busy stretch of Montrose Avenue into a river Monday morning. CBS 2's Katie McCall reports that a huge chunk of the street and vaulted sidewalk collapsed and repairs could take several days.

The 36-inch water main is 80 years old and broke early Monday morning. The sudden burst of water poured thousands of gallons of water into the street.

Soon afterward, the entire roadway was washed out with a 4-foot depth of what resembled whitewater rapids, and when it drained, a 25-by-50 foot sinkhole formed.

"It could happen instantaneously, because you can't see the washout happen underneath the street, so it's washing out the dirt underneath the street, and finally the street buckles," said Water Management Commissioner John Spatz.

The CTA Brown Line "L" stop at Montrose was temporarily closed and homes and businesses took in water.

City crews must now repair the broken main, then a sewer that ruptured and then, finally, the street and sidewalk.

That means it could take several days before life on this block of Montrose is back to normal.

Until then, at least eight businesses have been shut down as a result of the sinkhole.

Glenn Fahlstrom, owner of Glenn's Diner, said, "I've imagined a lot of things but I've never imagined this, so this is quite disturbing."

He's not worried about himself, but about the people who rely on him to feed their families.

"These are the kind of people, waiters and bus boys, who live paycheck to paycheck and I've got 24 of them right now and they're out of work."

The city says the pipe may have burst because of the quick change in temperature.

While some crews worked underground to shut off the main, others cleared the problems above ground. Even a couple blocks west of the crater, it was an enormous mess.

"The car is so far away, but it's still a mess," Ioana Dodericiu said as she got into her car Tuesday morning. "I have to clear the car. I can see it's even above your ankle. It's crazy."

But that was nothing compared to Bill Chambers' situation. The slush and grime came into his house.

"It was like a river going down the stairway in the basement, like literally a river - very loud," Chambers said.

The water that moved the lower level of Chambers' house was so forceful that it pushed up the base of a cabinet, and that's not all.

"And when it came through the basement, it blew out the locked door," Chambers said. "You probably saw some of the footage here that my furniture was floating from one place to another."

Water Management Department officials said Chambers' problem is under investigation and is likely connected to the Montrose Avenue water main break.

The Chicago Department of Buildings said at least one building with three commercial units was compromised. No one is permitted to enter the building.

The city has already hired a demolition company to examine the El Torito Mexican restaurant to determine if workers repairing the water main are at risk of being crushed if the building collapses.

People affected by the water can file a claim with the city clerks office, but so far the city has not said whether it is liable for the damage.

Ald. Eugene Schulter (47th) said the affected businesses will get support, as will businesses that suffer from reconstruction over at least the next five days.

CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman contributed to this report.

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