Lincoln Way motorists experienced a bit of an inconvenience Wednesday.

Ames Public Works Department officials discovered a water main break near the 2200 block of West Lincoln Way in front of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church late Wednesday morning.

A steady stream of water could be seen flowing down one of the city’s busiest streets.

A detour was implemented for east-bound traffic at about noon.

It is expected to remain in place through this morning or until the break is repaired, most likely later today.

The break was noticed when water started to bubble up through joints in the Lincoln Way pavement, said Paul Wiegand, director of public works.

Wiegand said he hopes to have the pipes fixed in time for rush-hour traffic this morning.

The detour will only affect east-bound vehicles and will run from south on Lynn Avenue to Knapp Street, then from Knapp Street to Ash Avenue, turning onto Lincoln Way.

Wiegand said a ground shift due to cold weather is what likely caused the water main to break.

A metal light pole had to be removed because it was in the area of the break.

Wiegand said, however, that the water should not cause any major flooding, damage or other problems for the Church or neighboring structures.