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Subway Service on 1-2-3 Trains Stalled Due to Water Main Break Downtown

A water main burst on West Broadway in lower Manhattan on Thurs., April 5, 2012.
A water main burst on West Broadway in lower Manhattan on Thurs., April 5, 2012.
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DNAinfo/Sonja Sharp

DOWNTOWN — A water main burst near the Chambers Street 1-2-3 station early Thursday, flooding streets and disrupting subway service during the morning commute, authorities said.

The break near 66 West Broadway, which emergency crews first responded to about 2:26 a.m., suspended service on the 1-2-3 lines in both directions, MTA and FDNY officials said.

Service on the subway lines resumed with residual delays shortly before 8:30 a.m., according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Two buildings on the east side of West Broadway between Murray and Warren streets remained without water as crews worked to repair the damage Thursday morning, a Department of Environmental Protection spokesman said.

The broken, 12-inch main dates to the late 1800s, but the spokesman noted that many century-old water mains in lower Manhattan function fine despite their age.

"Don't assume it's the age of the main," DEP spokesman Farrell Sklerov said, pointing out that weather or road vibrations can cause the breaks. 

It was not immediately clear what caused the break, officials said. 

West Broadway between Murray and Warren streets remained closed while crews worked to repair the main.

The break affected some properties in the area, flooding the basement of the Corner Gourmet II deli at 66 West Broadway. Several inches of water and mud filled the basement of owner Khaled Mohammed Naji's storefront — something he's not seen in 20 years doing business there, he said.