A punctured pipe has flooded the Atwater Tunnel, stranding three vehicles in around three metres of water.

The tunnel, which runs beneath the Lachine Canal, began filling up with water late Tuesday morning. It will be closed to traffic at least until Wednesday morning.

UPDATE | City hopes to reopen Atwater Tunnel for evening rush hour

Mayor Valérie Plante, who visited the site Tuesday afternoon, urged drivers to avoid the area if possible.

The water main was damaged during roadwork being conducted in the area.

No one was injured in the flooding, but the vehicles, which belong to construction workers, were almost completely submerged.

The tunnel began filling with water late Tuesday morning. (Simon-Marc Charron/Radio-Canada)

"[The situation] is under control. We're closing the valves, so no more water will be entering the tunnel," Plante told reporters.

"The good thing is that no houses are affected. It's really limited to the tunnel."

Southwest borough Mayor Benoit Dorais shared video of the flooding on his Twitter feed earlier on Tuesday.

City officials warned motorists the water main break could contribute to icy road conditions around the tunnel.