A tractor-trailer crash in Norwalk ruptured a water main Thursday night, shutting off water for many residents.

It happened on the southbound side of I-95 near exit 16 at around 6:30 p.m.

The truck hit an overpass and ripped open a 12-inch main that runs under Strawberry Hill Avenue, sending water gushing onto the highway for more than an hour. The water main is one of two that feed East Norwalk.

Dominick DiGangi, with the First District Water Department, says he has never seen anything quite like it before. He says crews cut and capped the water main on both sides of the bridge by digging into Strawberry Hill Avenue.

Norwalk officials say there were water outages throughout the area, but service has been restored and the highway is back to normal. Some residents say they saw discoloration in their water on Friday from sediment that stirred up when the line broke.

Crews say the water main needs to be completely replaced. DiGangi says an easier, quicker solution may be to run a temporary main on top of the bridge, along the sidewalk.

The other water main that serves East Norwalk is under the East Avenue bridge. The First District Water Department says they will be vulnerable until they can get a second line serving that section of the city.