By Tim McCarthy
tmccarthy@haverhillgazette.com
—
A water main break has temporarily closed a South Main Street restaurant.
On Saturday morning, July 24, around 12:30 a.m., a water main connected to the city's fire suppression systems, including sprinklers and fire hydrants, burst underground and flooded the basement of Kelly's Restaurant.
Kelly's owner David Barrett estimated his basement was flooded with 7 feet of water and 2 feet of mud. "It's like a swimming pool," Barrett said.
He estimated that he'll be closed until at least the end of the week.
Outside the restaurant, along the sidewalk facing South Main Street, a 3 foot wide by 6 foot deep sinkhole opened. Workers from the Department of Public Works stopped around 10 a.m. on Monday morning, July 26, to cordon off the area around the hole with road cones and orange barrels. Currently, an orange construction sign and several road cones are the only thing covering the sinkhole.
A 70-year-old eating and drinking tradition in Haverhill, Kelly's has been operated by Barrett for the last four years.
