A usually-busy section of Oxford Street was closed Tuesday morning after an underground water pipe burst, blowing a hole in the road surface.

The city's head of water operations, Steve Fazekas, said the damage is significant with west-bound lanes expected to remain closed for most of the day. One lane reopened late in the morning to ease congestion.

Mark Leitch works to repair the watermain that burst on Oxford Street at Talbot Tuesday morning. (Kate Dubinski/CBC News)

"It created quite a mess. We probably have a 30 by 50 foot cut in the asphalt that's eroded," Fazekas said.

The pipe that burst is more than 60 years old and was worn out. Crews have been working to get it out of the ground and replace it with a new pipe since 11 p.m. last night.

This old pipe burst, causing damage to Oxford Street at Talbot Street. (Kate Dubinski/CBC News)

Part of the delay in reopening the road completely is that the asphalt to repair it has to come from Hamilton.

"We're hoping we'll get it here by mid-morning and if they get it down before lunch, we'll be open again by the evening rush," Fazekas said.

Until then, Oxford Street remains slow-going between Richmond and Talbot Streets with traffic diverting through side streets in the area.