Montreal sinkhole
© Emily Brass/CBCA sinkhole has appeared on Laval Avenue near Carré St-Louis.
Water to Plateau residents to be cut tonight as work begins between Pine Ave. and Carré St-Louis

Laval Street between Pine Avenue and Sherbrooke Street will be blocked to traffic until next week due to a large sinkhole that appeared this morning.

The Plateau—Mont-Royal borough blamed the major sinkhole on the north side of Laval Avenue and Carré St-Louis on a 125-year-old water main bursting.

Borough officials said it happened around 8 a.m. this morning and there is a smell of gas in the area. The sinkhole is estimated to be at least six metres by four metres. Residents said they aren't surprised by the pipe bursting.

"It seems to be so endemic of the entire city. It seems like work maybe wasn't done properly years and years
and years ago," Laval Street resident Terri Howard said.

"They do spend a lot of money on things like festivals. I think they need to put it in infrastructure. The city needs to go back to basics," another area resident, Louise Makovsky, said.

City of Montreal and Gaz Métro workers are at the scene. Repair work will begin Thursday evening, with water being cut off for a short time this evening between Pine Avenue and Carré St-Louis.