A waterline break near Ninth and Iowa streets is slowing traffic in the area this morning.

Two northbound lanes of traffic on Iowa Street have been closed to allow crews to repair a break of a six-inch waterline underneath the street.

The road remains open to through traffic, but northbound motorists are being detoured into a turning lane. Lisa Patterson, communications director for the city, said that traffic is still moving reasonably well through the area, but she’s urging drivers to use extra caution in the area. She said the repairs will take the better part of today to complete.

Crews were called to the area at 1:30 a.m. to fix the broken waterline. Water has been restored. Patterson said this is a time of year when waterlines are susceptible to breakage. She said the dry weather causes the ground to shift, which can be a problem for the fragile cast iron lines.