A section of St. Joseph Boulevard has been closed in both directions after a water main break Monday caused a sinkhole on the road.

Orleans resident Isabel Lemon said she hopes the next sinkhole is not close to home. (CBC)

It happened at the corner of St. Joseph Boulevard and Edgar Brault Street at about 11:35 a.m. Monday.

Large amounts of water and a sinkhole were reported after a water main broke in the area.

St. Joseph Boulevard is closed between St. Pierre and Gabriel streets while crews make repairs. The road was expected to reopen Monday night, but councillor Stephen Blais said via Twitter the repairs would take a longer and a structural inspection was planned for the morning.

'It could have been me going down the hole'

Neighbourhood resident Isabel Lemon said the hole opened about five minutes before she arrived at the road and counts herself lucky she didn't drive into it.

Ottawa police tweeted this photo of the sinkhole at St. Joseph Boulevard and Edgar Brault Street after a water main broke. (Ottawa police)

"I was just about to leave home this morning but my husband decided to talk a bit longer and thank God to him," said Lemon.

"It could have been me going down the hole," she said.

Ottawa Public Health said drinking water was not compromised and that they would not be issuing a boil water advisory.

Pipe installed in 1975

Dixon Weir, the city's general manager of environmental services, said this stretch of water main was installed in 1975 and was scheduled to be assessed.

"This was on our priority list, it was one of the sections of pipe we were planning to carry out an assessment of conditions on, but unfortunately this break has preceded that," said Weir.