Sewer pipeline burst in Country Homes area forces detour

County crews are working to repair a sewer pipe that burst Tuesday at Wall Street and Barnes Road in the Country Homes area.

Motorists are asked to use alternate routes for the next couple of days until it’s fixed.

Martha Lou Wheatley-Billeter, Spokane County spokesperson, said she expects at least one-way traffic to return by Thursday.

There is a good chance that both lanes will be restored by Friday morning, but Wheatley-Billeter said she can’t guarantee it.

Spokane County Risk Management is working with insurance companies to address a couple of basements that were damaged.

Wheatley-Billeter said she was informed of the pipe failure Tuesday morning.

To fix the problem, Wheatley-Billeter said crews must excavate the site to get to the 36-inch crack near the bottom of the pressurized pipeline made of ductile iron. Once the repairs are made, crews must fill in the ground they dug up and regravel the surface of the road. As of Wednesday afternoon, the pipe has been fixed, but removing contaminated soil and backfilling it was ongoing.

“Motorists are being asked to avoid the area,” Wheatley-Billeter said. “Choose an alternate route because we’ve got crew working in that area and that’s going to slow down traffic. So choose an alternate route and everyone will be in good shape.”