Road damaged by sinking equipment

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - A portion of Princess Anne Road will be closed for the majority of Friday as crews work to repair damage caused by construction equipment.

Grazia Moyers with the Virginia Beach Police Department said a piece of construction equipment caused a water main to break in the 5200 block of Princess Anne Road.

“As the equipment continued to sink from its own weight, it shifted on its side and came to rest on a gas line, crushing the line,” Moyers said. There is no gas leak at this time and Virginia Natural Gas says there is no danger of an explosion.

The equipment was stationary 15 or 20 feet back from the rupture of an old water line spilling water out and eroding the dirt away from the piece of equipment.

"It's maddening," Beach resident Ed Halloran said. "It goes with the turf. We've had terrible problems over here. They're diverting the water in the river. This is just another day in the chapter."

Because there is a risk of the road collapsing, Moyers said the line will need to be repaired immediately. Gas service will be interrupted to some homes in the area as they work to repair the roadway and lines.

As of 3:30 p.m. Tim Riley with the Virginia Beach Fire Department said two lanes of westbound Princess Anne Road were open, and one eastbound lane was open. One eastbound lane will remain to be closed until Saturday afternoon while repairs continue. 

Police have set up barricades at Newtown Road and Princess Anne Road. Local traffic, including residents, employees and customers of businesses in the area will be permitted through. Moyers said traffic can travel as far east as Parliament Drive after passing through the barricade.

All other traffic will have to take Greenwich Road to get to Witchduck Road. Traffic traveling the westbound lanes from Witchduck Road to Kempsville Road will not be permitted down Princess Anne Road and will have to take Greenwich Road.

Businesses will remain open.

Eileen Cox with Virginia Beach Schools told WAVY.com around 7:20 a.m. Point O'View Elementary School would be under a two hour delay.

Cox added school bus service could be delayed or eliminated for students living in the area that attend a high school academy program, Kempsville Landing Magnet School, Larkspur Middle, Plaza Middle and Old Donation Center. 

The construction company whose equipment fell, E.V. Williams, released the following statement Friday afternoon:

"As the hole grew bigger, the excavator fell into the hole created by the erosion. There was no work going on at the time of the incident. No employees were in danger. We are busy repairing the waterline."

Parents may need to make other transportation arrangements.