An overnight water main break at Beneva Road and Markridge Road forced hours of lane closures on one of Sarasota's busiest north-south corridors Aug. 5, disrupting traffic through the morning and afternoon before crews completed repairs.

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded to the intersection in the early morning hours after the break shut down both northbound and southbound lanes of Beneva Road between Markridge Road and Kingston Boulevard, Patch reported.

The closure hit hard. The stretch between Markridge and Kingston runs through a mix of residential neighborhoods and commercial properties, forcing drivers onto side streets for much of the day.

By 4:15 a.m., northbound lanes and one southbound lane had reopened, the sheriff's office said. Markridge Road at Beneva remained closed through the morning as water line work continued.

All lanes of Beneva Road reopened by 5:45 p.m., ABC7 reported.

Cause of the Break and Utility Owner Remain Undisclosed

The sheriff's office issued a news release advising motorists to avoid the area while repairs were underway but did not identify which utility owns the broken main or what caused the failure.

Neither the city of Sarasota nor Sarasota County Utilities issued a public statement about the break as of Wednesday evening. It is also unclear whether nearby homes or businesses lost water service or faced a boil-water notice during the repair.

Residents who notice discolored water or low pressure near the Beneva and Markridge area can contact their local utility provider. The city of Sarasota and Sarasota County each operate water systems in overlapping service areas near that intersection.