A ruptured water main has forced the closure of a busy Buckhead thoroughfare right in front of the Atlanta Fish Market.

Emergency repair work is underway on Pharr Road after a six-inch water main break sends water gushing onto the roadway and sidewalks between Peachtree Road and North Fulton Drive.

It means area homes and businesses have no water service for now.

The pooling water will freeze as temperatures drop in the coming hours, so it is likely the road will remain closed for an extended period of time over a busy stretch in the heart of Buckhead.

A statement from the Watershed Management Department says they are waiting a determination on a location of buried utilities before completing repairs.