Route 209 between Tamaqua and Coaldale was shut down to traffic Tuesday after a wide load came in contact with a Verizon phone cable.

The tractor trailer was traveling north carrying a large bucket for a piece of earth moving equipment and ripped the cable from the utility poles along the east berm.

Tamaqua and Coaldale police shut down the roadway until Verizon workers pulled the cable off the road. It is unknown how many Verizon customers are without service.