NATCHEZ — After late-night construction and early morning leaky pipes, the water line damaged on the corner of Jefferson and Canal streets was fixed Friday morning.

Unfortunately, Natchezians can expect to see the orange road blockers on the sidewalk of the intersection for a few more weeks.

A large portion of the road at the intersection had to be excavated Thursday after an 18-wheeler turning right onto Canal Street struck a fire hydrant with its back right tire.

Natchez City Engineer David Gardner said Water Works crews encountered a leaky water main after they installed the new hydrant.

Gardner said the 18-wheeler striking the hydrant created a “water hammer,” which is a pressure surge resulting when water in motion is forced to stop or change direction suddenly.

“The impact was so significant that it pushed the internal mechanical parts of the hydrant down and created some kind of hydraulic pressure,” Gardner said. “That pressure blew out a seal on the main water line.”

Gardner said about 10 feet of pipe had to be removed and replaced with new pipe to correct the leaking.

The crews packed the excavated areas with sand and dirt, but the sidewalk can’t be reconstructed for a few weeks, Gardner said.

The area excavated included a truncated dome handicapped ramp, which is the yellow mat with textured ground surface to assist blind and vision impaired pedestrians, and must be installed by a contractor.

Gardner said the installation won’t be more than $5,000, so requiring a bid for the job won’t be necessary.

Gardner said he will be contacting the 18-wheeler driver’s insurance company to begin discussing payment for the excavation, sidewalk repairs and labor.

Gardner said he hopes the work can begin next week once he finds a contractor and speaks with the insurance company.