Water line leak stalls traffic on Las Vegas Boulevard

Southbound traffic on Las Vegas Boulevard south of Sahara Avenue was squeezed to one lane this morning as crews worked to repair a gushing water line.

The break occurred at the Fountainbleu project, north of the Riviera Hotel, at Riviera Boulevard. Las Vegas police said the Las Vegas Valley Water District and Clark County Public Works Department were working to repair the break.

Water district spokeswoman Nichole Lise said the leak was the result of a "naturally occurring failure" in a back-flow device used for fire protection and to keep impurities from getting into the water delivery system.

The water has been shut off and crews hope to complete repairs early this afternoon, Lise said. Until then, the righthand lane of southbound Las Vegas Boulevard is expected to remain closed.

The partially constructed Fountainbleu project is the only property left without water service as a result of the equipment failure, Lise said.