Emergency Pepco work to repair damage to downtown Bethesda feeder lines

Pepco has closed one lane of northbound Old Georgetown Road, and Cordell and Del Ray Avenues where they meet that road, for an emergency repair operation. Apparently, water and sewer utility WSSC's workers may have accidentally damaged Pepco's underground feeder lines in that area of downtown Bethesda, while making repairs to their own infrastructure there. Among those served by the lines is Suburban Hospital.

There has been pooling of water in the street in that area recently, suggesting a water main break. WSSC workers were stopped there at least once during that time, a nearby resident says. As of tonight, there is no longer water in the street.

Pepco is working underneath the road right now, and are down in a manhole on Cordell. There are no apparent power outages yet downtown, and none reported on the official Pepco outage map. Drivers should avoid the area, if possible.