Manhole explosion temporarily closes Railroad Place

UPDATE: Westport police announced at 11:45 a.m. that Railroad Place has reopened to traffic.

The Westport Fire Department announced in a statement Wednesday afternoon the temporary closure came as a result of the explosion of a manhole.

At 8:52 a.m. the department was notified of smoke coming from a manhole on Railroad Place adjacent to the train station. Arriving units found smoke coming out of a manhole and its cover displaced. It was then determined a manhole explosion had occurred.

Firefighters discovered an excavator had inadvertently dug up a live underground power line at a nearby construction site on Franklin Street. There were no injuries as a result of the explosion, the statement said.

The road was closed Wednesday morning after power issues left businesses there without electricity.

Eversource worked underground to restore power, according to Westport Public Information Officer Lt. Anthony Prezioso.

It appears the only buildings and businesses affected were those on Railroad Place, he said. Prior to the road reopening, Eversouce reported 31 customers in the area were without power.

The nearby train platform remained accessible by the staircase closest to Riverside Avenue. Eversource has remained on scene and the repairs are estimated to continue into Thursday morning.

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