Water main break may affect city events

BALTIMORE - As crews work for a projected three weeks to fix the water main break on Light Street, the hope is some of the bigger events planned in and around downtown don't also get washed away.

"For this water main break really think about, before you go out, we don't want you to stay home we want you to still come out and about.  It is manageable but just make sure you know where you're going once you leave the house."

Tracey Baskerville helps organize Artscape.

The 31st annual three day festival is scheduled for this weekend in Station North and expected to attract more than 300 thousand people.

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Where it is held is not a problem but getting there may be; a concern enough for Artscape to work together with the department of transportation.

"We're moving forward with our plans for Artscape, we're gonna work hard with the department of transportation with street closures and detours and make sure things can run as smoothly as possible as people try and get to the festival," said Baskerville.

And that includes more traffic officers at intersections and even possibly re-timing the downtown traffic light grid to ease the flow not only during rush hour, but the times leading up to planned events like Artscape, the weekly farmers market or when the Orioles come back in town next week.

Measures the department of transportation assures will help you get where you need and want to go.

"So when traveling downtown be sure to allow time, be patient, watch for pedestrian traffic, go around the area or avoid it all together but this will not have an impact on the events scheduled for this weekend," said Department of Transportation Spokesperson Adrienne Barnes.

DOT also urges people to take public transportation during the three weeks the main is repaired.

Organizers of the Grand Prix told ABC2 News the main will have no impact on construction of the track which starts July 30 ^th or the race itself on Labor Day Weekend.