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William Lehman Causeway Finally Reopens After Complicated Water Main Break Fix

AVENTURA (CBSMiami) – Both directions on William Lehman Causeway in Aventura reopened Saturday. It is a busy roadway that connects the city to Sunny Isles Beach.

Chopper 4 was overhead after a 24-inch sewer main break late Thursday. Since then, traffic is flowing once again.

"I'll never recommend you drive in Aventura, to be honest with you," a neighbor said.

The neighbor has lived in Aventura for 14 years. The closure made for any even tougher drive throughout the already busy area.

There was also a stench he will never forget.

"It smells really bad. It's terrible. I feel bad for the animals over there," he told CBS4's Ty Russell.

County officials previously told us this fix was complicated because of its location and sand.

As crews were wrapping up repairs Saturday on the causeway, there was another issue 1,000 feet away.

Miami-Dade Water and Sewer confirmed another issue connected to the same sewer main.

Workers say an air release valve broke. That happened along West Country Club Drive. Police closed the southbound lanes for hours that lasted well into the night.

Even though the sewer main only broke in one spot, one neighbor is worried about the all the pipes throughout the area.

"A lot of people live here. We don't want to get contaminated water. There are a lot of babies here as well," the neighbor said.

No customers were impacted.

The county's water and sewer department is working on a multi-billion dollar project to replace aging pipes and pump stations in the county.

As for this 40-year-old sewer main in Aventura, a county spokesperson believes its shelf life may have come to an end since pipes with wastewater wear faster. Also, saltwater corrosion may have also been an issue since it's near the ocean.

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