Massive sinkhole swallows Ottawa street, causing traffic delays

A massive sinkhole swallowed part of a downtown Ottawa street overnight, causing traffic delays during the Friday commute.

The eight-metre-wide sinkhole formed around 1 a.m. Friday, close to a light rail construction site.

Construction crews were at work at the time of the collapse, but no one was injured.

Authorities diverted traffic around the giant sinkhole Friday morning as crews prepared to pour cement in an attempt to secure the site and ensure no further collapse.

It was not immediately clear what caused the collapse, but authorities are concerned that it is tied to the LRT construction.

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  Crews work on a large sinkhole that halted tunneling work on the East Portal of Ottawa's LRT project in downtown Ottawa on Friday, February 21, 2014. (Fred Chartrand / THE CANADIAN PRESS)