Crews work at the site of a water line break on Nineteenth Street just east of Haskell Avenue. The break was repaired and service has been restored to customers in the area, but Nineteenth Street remains closed to through traffic from Haskell Avenue to Miller Drive, possibly until Thursday.

Nineteenth Street will remained closed just east of Haskell Avenue until Thursday evening as a crew finishes repairs needed after a water main break.

The street was closed after a 52-year-old, 12-inch cast-iron water main broke Saturday evening. The large break washed out a large amount of mud and sand below the street, and crews dug into the street to gain access to the break.

Scott Fewins, utilities field operations manager for the city of Lawrence, said workers were replacing concrete curb and guttering Tuesday, and should start laying asphalt at the site Wednesday. The section of Nineteenth Street should be open by 5 p.m. Thursday, he said

Nineteenth Street provides access to the Douglas County Fairgrounds, and a Thursday opening would make that route available for the fair’s busy days of Friday and Saturday.

Fewins said the city plans a project to replace the cast-iron water main from Haskell Avenue to Miller Street with new plastic pipe in coming months. Saturday’s break was the second large break on that section in recent months, he said.