LEWISTON – A 60-foot stretch of roadway buckled Wednesday and water flooded the intersection at Lisbon Street and East Avenue when a main burst beneath the pavement.

Lewiston’s 10th water main break of the season closed one of the city’s busiest streets. Crews were expected to be at work repairing it into Thursday morning.

Water gushed across East Avenue at about 2 p.m. and swiftly washed down to the intersection with Lisbon Street.

Already contending with car wrecks and snow-covered streets from a grinding Nor’easter, police and public works crews scrambled to the area and shut down the intersection.

Utility crews also went to the scene, contending with clogged traffic and icy roads as they prepared for the long repair job.

Kevin Gagne, deputy director of Lewiston Public Services, said a 12-inch main had ruptured. With the estimated one-hour-per-inch repair job ahead for city crews, he said the street would likely remain closed into Thursday morning.

“It’s going to be a long night. A cold night,” Gagne said. “This isn’t even the busiest time of year for us.”

Gagne said the worst problems usually occur later in the season.

The broken main caused a 60-foot section of East Avenue to heave upward as water erupted toward the surface. Water coursed downhill, mixing with snow and turning to ice and slush along the way.

The end of East Avenue, between CVS pharmacy and Martel Elementary School, was quickly shut down to all traffic. Police steered traffic around the area, directing drivers through the Lewiston Mall parking lot or other routes.

There were no reports of serious crashes in the area, but traffic on Lisbon Street slowed as drivers made their way toward the downtown.

Police were advising people who travel through Lewiston to consider alternative routes until the repairs were completed.