A section of a busy commuter corridor in Vancouver is closed this summer while the city replaces a watermain from the early 1900s.

Four blocks of 12th Avenue between Kingsway and Fraser Street are fully closed, starting Tuesday.

The closure is expected to continue for two months until August.

Daniel Roberge, director of engineering for water and sewer with the city, said the goal is to finish the work by the Labour Day long weekend, when traffic increases and the school year resumes.

According to the city, the old watermain was in "critical condition" with a number of recent leaks.

Roberge said the city was planning to upgrade the water supply in the coming years but the major leaks in the spring prompted earlier action.

The city warns that during construction water from the supply may appear cloudy but says it is not a health concern and is usually resolved within a few hours.

Traffic piles up near the 12th Avenue road closure on Tuesday morning. (Tina Lovgreen/CBC)

Other closures

The 12th Avenue closure is part of a larger city-wide water upgrade underway this summer.

A section of the west side of Boundary Road, from First Avenue to Grandview Highway is under construction to replace an old watermain from the 1950s.

The new one is expected to last into the next century. The project coincides with other safety upgrades like traffic signals and lighting.

In downtown Vancouver's West End, work is also being done to upgrade the water supply infrastructure along sections of Haro and Bute streets.