http://worldradio.ch/wrs/news/wrsnews/burst-water-pipe-creates-geneva-traffic-chaos.shtml?28925
AT A GLANCE
"Quai Général-Guisan will remain shut in both directions between Place Longemalle and Rue Pierre Fatio until at least Wednesday, Feb. 8
Detours are sending traffic along Rue du Rhone to access the Pont du Mont-Blanc, Quai Gustave-Ador and Rue Versonnex"
Burst water pipe creates Geneva traffic chaos
Temperatures well below freezing caused a water pipe to burst in front of the Hotel Métropole near the Jardin Anglais in Geneva around midday Sunday, forcing the closure of Quai du Général-Guisan.
The shutdown of one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares created major back-ups for Monday commuters on both sides of Lake Geneva despite attempts by officials to re-route traffic.
Morning commuters reported being stuck in virtual parking lots stretching all the way to Rue de Lausanne on Rive Droit and past the French border at Thônex all the way to Gaillard, more than 6 kilometers away on the Rive Gauche side.
Some drivers were trapped in the traffic jam for more than three hours.
The quantity of water that spilled into the heavily travelled street has destabilized its foundation to the point where it risks giving way under the weight of so many cars.
Crews from the Services Industriels de Genève are working around the clock to repair the problem but say the road will be closed until at least Wednesday as ice and freezing temperatures complicate working conditions—in particular their ability to re-pave the surface.
Meanwhile, authorities have been hard at work trying to come up with a plan to prevent a repeat of today’s traffic snarl tomorrow.
