OGDEN — A water line break Thursday afternoon forced the emergency closure of State Road 39 through Ogden Canyon.

“We’re uncertain whether it was damaged by the earthquake,” Ogden City Chief Administrative Officer Mark Johnson said. The area has experienced repeated aftershocks in the wake of a 5.7 magnitude quake in Magna last month.

The Utah Department of Transportation said the road — the main route between Ogden and the upper Ogden Valley — was expected to be closed until 1 a.m. Friday, although Johnson said it might take only a few hours to fix.

In a tweet just before 1:30 p.m. Thursday, UDOT advised drivers to take Trappers Loop Highway or the North Ogden Canyon Road as alternate routes.

UDOT Region One spokesman Zack Whitney said Ogden City crews notified the state of the need for repairs.

“They discovered a leak in the water line that runs down the canyon,” Whitney said. “They needed to close the road completely so they could address it.”

Johnson said the city’s 24-inch line funneling water to the city from wells beneath Pineview Reservoir sprung a leak at a joint in a narrow place in the canyon.

“Apparently, it was quite a geyser,” he said. “There’s quite a bit of pressure so we needed to get it repaired as quickly as possible.”

The line was replaced last year, he said. A major 36-inch line was not affected and continued to supply water.