Broadway traffic can be sloth-like on any given evening at rush hour, with Fridays capable of bringing it to a halt. On Friday, May 12, drivers attempting to pass through Tarrytown were diverted onto side streets as the officers, firefighters and Con Edison workers responded to an emergency.
What was incorrectly reported by a local television station as a gas leak in Tarrytown, was in fact an electrical fire several feet beneath Broadway.
According to Con Edison crews, the fire resulted from the short circuiting of secondary electrical cables just south of McKeel Avenue, causing an explosion that could be heard throughout the Village.
Crews worked throughout the night to get the condition stabilized and assess the damage. As a result, over 400 feet of new cable and duct work was reinstalled under Broadway’s road surface, from McKeel Avenue down to Wildey Street. According to one Con Edison worker, the Company decide to buy circuit breakers to place alongside the secondary cables to ensure uninterrupted electrical service, should the situation reoccur.
