A miles-long stretch of Interstate 694 near Oakdale that was closed for almost a week due to a water main break has once again opened to traffic, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
The southbound lanes of the highway south of Hwy. 36 were reopened by 8 a.m. Saturday, according to a tweet from Kevin Gutknecht, communications director for MnDOT.
The northbound lanes between Hwy. 36 and I-94 were reopened by 8:30 a.m., he later tweeted.
MnDOT highway maps indicated normal driving conditions, and highway cameras showed a few cars and trucks on the road Saturday morning.
The segment had been closed for almost a week after a water main break Sunday spilled millions of gallons of water and washed out the ground under the highway.
While the roadway was not damaged, the erosion may have posed a danger to drivers, Gutknecht said.
The spill created stress for east metro drivers who were forced to take a massive detour and crews who worked around the clock to fix the break.
Repairing the leak meant removing the 53-year-old pipe that broke, installing a new one and patching and reinforcing the washed-out roadway.
Late-night highway crash near northern Minnesota resort kills 2, injures 2 others
Jackpot: Once-dismal electronic pulltabs are a hit

StarTribune.com welcomes and encourages readers to comment and engage in substantive, mutually respectful exchanges over news topics. Commenters must follow our Terms of Use.
Comments will be reviewed before being published.