Water main break causes road collapse in downtown Cleveland

CLEVELAND — Heads up!

The Cleveland Police Department is asking everybody to "please avoid the area" of Ontario Street and St. Clair Avenue.

That request from police was posted shortly before 10:30 a.m. Sunday due to a water main break in downtown Cleveland.

In an update provided to 3News shortly after noon, an official with Cleveland Water says they've controlled the leak flow and "are working to isolate the break location."

A few hours later, a large portion of the intersection collapsed as seen in the picture below. 

7 p.m. update from the Cleveland Division of Police: "On Monday, March 20, 2023, the Cleveland Division of Police will have traffic controllers and police officers in the area to direct traffic during rush hour, delays are expected. The no parking order will remain in effect until further notice. Please avoid the area if possible.

Parking Advisory: Due to a water main break, there will be no parking on Ontario Street or St. Clair Avenue near Police Headquarters (1300 Ontario Street) until further notice."

The water main break comes amid cold and snowy conditions as lake effect snow impacted portions of Northeast Ohio -- including downtown Cleveland.

SUBSCRIBE: Get the day's top local and national headlines sent to your email inbox each weekday morning with 3News to GO! newsletter

See video of Sunday's snowy conditions in downtown Cleveland in the player below:

Want to be among the first to know the most important local and national news? You can download the free WKYC app and get the latest updates right on your phone: Android, Apple.