Cathedral Street, between Madison and Monument Streets in Baltimore City’s Mount Vernon neighborhood, has been reopened to traffic following a closure of more than six months for emergency sewer repair work.

The reopening, on Friday morning, May 5, comes just in time for Baltimore’s iconic Flower Mart event.

The block was closed in October when a cavity opened in Cathedral Street near the intersection of Monument Street. The cause was a hole in a major sewer main more than 30 feet beneath the surface that allowed earth to seep into the sewer. The result was an hourglass effect that created a void under the street until it, too, collapsed.

It was the third time in 2016 that a hole opened on that section of sewer main. In late April a collapse occurred in the 100 block of West Centre Street, and on July 4 another void closed the 400 block of West Mulberry Street.

The Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) has installed a newly lined pipe that runs for about 1.2 miles, from the west side of downtown to the north side. The technology used creates a new, stronger pipe inside the old, brick-and-mortar sewer. The entire project cost more than $20 million, and is designed to provide stable sewer service long into the future.

Other utilities, including water and gas, were also rebuilt in the areas of the street collapses.

DPW is refurbishing, or rebuilding, many miles of water and sewer mains each year in order to strengthen systems that are, in many places, more than 100 years old. The result will be more reliable water delivery and sewer collection systems that protect public health and the environment.