LEWISTON — A pipe burst beneath Sabattus Street on Wednesday night, flooding the roadway and leaving hundreds without water service.

The pipe broke shortly before 8 p.m., causing water to gush from the center of the roadway in front of the Country Lane Homes office. A Lewiston Water District worker said when he arrived, most of the street was under water.

Water service was cut off to the area, leaving hundreds of homes dry between Pond Road and the Sabattus town line. A Water District official said that included all homes in the sprawling County Lane Homes complex.

By 8:30 p.m., crews were on the way to Sabattus Street where they would dig up the roadway and begin repairs.

A Water District official said it was likely work would continue through the night and possibly into Thursday morning. It depended on the extent of damage, he said.

A break across the water main would mean a relatively quick repair. A break down the length of the pipe would call for more extensive measures, he said.

Fire departments in Sabattus and Lewiston were notified and advised that hydrants in that area would be inoperable.

With crews getting prepared to dig, cones were set up to divert traffic around the area above the broken main. Traffic to Sabattus was directed through the Country Lane Homes office parking lot while drivers head into Lewiston used the southbound lane to drive around the trouble zone.

Public Works was expected to send a truck to sand the areas where water froze on the street.

City officials were working to notify area residents about the water interruption.

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