LEWISTON — Residences and businesses from Tractor Supply Co. at 1619 Lisbon St. to the Lisbon town line were without water Wednesday morning after a water main burst shortly after 5 a.m.

By 8 a.m., city crews had the main repaired, although work was continuing in the area later in the day.

According to a Lewiston Public Works spokesperson, the department received a call about 5:30 a.m. about water bubbling from the ground on outer Lisbon Street near Tractor Supply.

After crews dug up the street, a 16-inch water main was found to have several holes and the line was shut down. It was estimated that several hundred customers and businesses were without water from the area of Tractor Supply to Lisbon.

The work caused traffic snarls in the area as crews first began digging their way to the main. A few businesses, including the Auburn-Lewiston YMCA spa, closed briefly due to the disruption.

About 8 a.m., the city put out a notice that the main had been repaired, although it was expected that work would continue at the scene.

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In March, a 12-inch water main break in the area of Orange Street flooded several neighborhoods, including basements and entire yards that were swamped by several feet of water.

That break closed schools for a day and prompted a boil water order in some parts of the city.

In Maine, water main breaks are not uncommon in the springtime. Officials say as the ground thaws, it puts pressure on pipes, particularly following a cold winter.