Update: Part of Museum Road between Gale Lemerand Drive and UF’s Reitz Union remains closed as of Saturday morning. The water leak was caused by a reclaimed water pipe rupture, according to an alert from UF Public Safety.
A water leak underneath Museum Road caused a steady stream of shallow water across the campus roadway Friday afternoon, creating “hazardous conditions,” according to an alert from UF Public Safety.
UF Facility Services and officers from the UF Police Department responded to the scene Friday to assess the leak and determine its cause. UPD blocked off part of Museum Road, which runs past UF’s Reitz Union, and its intersection with Gale Lemerand Drive.
UPD Maj. Kristy Sasser said the leak caused water to run up from underneath the road, creating potential problems for the roadway’s structural integrity.
She said officers and facility services employees are still working to determine the cause.
While Sasser said UPD has dealt with underground leaks before, she said Friday’s scene is more extensive than what the department usually sees.
Sasser said UPD hopes to address and resolve the cause of the closure Friday, but it could take longer if the road has suffered extensive structural damage as a result of the leak.
“It could be a longer term project,” Sasser said. “They just don’t know yet.”
Contact Bailey Diem at bdiem@alligator.org. Follow her on X @BaileyDiem.
Bailey Diem is the Fall 2024 Metro Editor at The Alligator. She spent previous semesters reporting for The Alligator's University and Metro desks. In her free time, Bailey enjoys playing guitar or getting lost in a book.
