A sewer line collapse in downtown Mineola closed part of U.S. Hwy. 80 for a few days and left city public works crews on scene during much of that time to try to mitigate more problems.

Emergency repairs were completed and the highway was reopened Thursday morning.

According to City Manager Mercy Rushing, the initial problem was found late Saturday after the Kindness Kottage at 316 E. Broad St. (Hwy. 80) reported sewer was backing up at that location.

The collapsed line in the 100 block was discovered around 10:30 p.m. using a camera threaded through the line.

It was not known how long it had been since the collapse had occurred.

City crews began pumping from the nearby manhole sometime after 1 a.m. Sunday to help prevent sewage from backing up into nearby businesses and residences.

The old line may have been put in around 1942-43, according to one old city map, Rushing said.

It serves both sides of Hwy. 80 from the intersection with Hwy. 69 (Pacific St.) east to Jalapeno Tree at 416 E. Broad as well as Kirkpatrick, Blair and Graham Streets north of Broad.

A contractor who could handle the repairs was contacted. The city does not maintain equipment that can handle digging out a 10-foot deep line. Triple A Construction arrived on Tuesday and by 1:30 p.m. Wednesday the work was completed, which included patching the highway which just recently had been resurfaced.

A 40-foot section was replaced with PVC pipe.

Both westbound lanes of Hwy. 80 were closed during the repairs and traffic rerouted to the north.

Rushing said Public Works Director Williams Crump estimates 80 to 90 percent of the lines in the city are the older type.

“All we can do is when they go out then we can go replace them,” Rushing said.

She did not have a figure for the cost of the emergency repairs as she had not yet received a bill from Triple A for its large track hoe.