AUBURN – A stretch of Center Street was closed to traffic Wednesday night after a rush of water washed across the roadway when a water main broke.

The break was reported as minor flooding at about 7:45 p.m. The first police officer arrived in time to see a spout of water burst through a widening hole in the road.

By 8 p.m., police and public works crews closed the road on both sides of the break, which occurred in front of K&R Auto on outer Center Street.

Inbound traffic was diverted onto Turner Street a short distance from the main break. Later Wednesday night, officials from the Auburn Water District said it was too soon to say whether repairs would continue into the morning commute on Thursday.

Police said they would try to reopen one northbound and one southbound lane by the travel hour on Thursday. However, they advised motorists who use Center Street to allow for delays Thursday morning or to find another route.

Water spouting from beneath the pavement washed over the road. Within minutes, it had turned to ice in some places.

The area where the break occurred, a short distance from Lake Auburn, is among the busiest throughways in the Twin Cities. Auto dealerships and WD Matthews Machinery, businesses close to the washed-out area, were closed when the main broke.

There were no crashes or other problems attributed to the break, police said.

Center Street has been hit by several main breaks in recent years, though most were closer to the downtown area.

Hours after the break was reported, crews were digging up the street to locate the source of the problem.