Cars stuck in ice on Milwaukee's east side due to water leak
Updated: Jan. 20, 2026
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Most of the cars trapped in inches of thick ice after a pipe leak on Milwaukee's east side have since been freed.
Milwaukee Waterworks says the issue was related to a leak on a service pipe that leads into a nearby building.
Overnight, crews applied calcium chloride to help melt the ice. There's a crew working on the pipes Tuesday, and they say as of right now, they don't know how long the repair will take.
Posted: Jan. 19, 2026
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A handful of drivers on Milwaukee's east side have their cars stuck in ice Monday, Jan. 19.
The vehicles near the intersection of Stowell Avenue and Belleview Place are unable to move, stuck in inches of ice as the temperatures dropped below zero Monday morning in most locations, for the coldest temperatures since the middle of December.
Milwaukee Water Works says the issue is related to a leak on a service pipe that leads into a building. Overnight, their crews applied calcium chloride to help melt the ice encasing the tires, which has been helping.
"I have never seen that in this area," shared Rachael Spalding, who parked one block behind the vehicles stuck in ice. She's thankful she wasn't impacted. "it’s really scary. I'd be really upset if my car was frozen in ice. People who have to work today, it’s already pretty miserable out here. It’s bad enough to leave the house, but coming out to a frozen car, that must be worse."
Water Works Superintendent Patrick Pauly said the problem started with a leak in an apartment building's branch pipe that they had investigated last week but were "unable to determine the exact location of the leak -- whether it was on public right of way or if it was private property, so it got held. And unfortunately, the weekend when temperatures went way down, the water that was surfacing froze in place, probably because it couldn’t drain away, and there are some vehicles that are caught in ice."
Officials say they're contacting vehicle owners to help assist and see if the cars can be moved to start repair work. However, the situation is a catch-22 as crews need cars to move in order to begin the work. Pauly said crews will be back in the area on Tuesday to find exactly where the leak is and make the repairs.
Officials remind everyone as we face temperatures below zero, to make sure you're maintaining heat in the basement to avoid bursting meters or pipes.