Water was shut off to some Kalispell residents Tuesday after a water line broke on the west side of town.

The break is located at Fourth Avenue West and 11th Street West, between Third and Fourth Avenue.

Kalispell Public Works Director Suzie Turner said that crews are on the scene, but the time frame for fixing the break is uncertain.

“We’re hoping [it will be fixed] by sometime this evening,” she said. “If we’re digging through frozen ground, it’s going to take a little bit longer. If it goes smoothly, it usually takes us four to five hours to fix a main break.”

Turner said there’s no way to determine what caused the break until the pipe is unearthed, but she suspects the cold weather caused the 1930s cast-iron pipe to burst.

“It’s old,” she said. “A lot of times in the cold the ground may move enough for those old pipes to break.”

About a city block of residents are without of water, but Turner said the good news is that the break is in the street and not beneath a house. Opening the asphalt has caused water to spill into the street, so Turner advises drivers to stay away from the area between Fourth and Third avenues west.

Reporter Seaborn Larson may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at [email protected].