Car-sized sinkhole opens up in Cornwall, Ontario

© Cornwall Newswatch/Bill Kingston

Three public works employees check where a backhoe with a jack hammer is excavating the site of a sinkhole on Fifth Street East in the early morning hours of March 12, 2015. A water main break caused part of the street to collapse.

A section of Fifth Street East outside Cornwall Collegiate and Vocational School collapsed late Wednesday night causing a giant sinkhole.

The hole, which took up the entire left lane of Fifth Street, was about the size of a compact car.

Typically, fluctuating temperatures above and below freezing like Cornwall has experienced the last couple of days is extremely hard on water mains.

A Cornwall public works supervisor and roughly a half dozen workers could be seen inspecting a large cavity under the street before a backhoe with a jack hammer was brought in around 1:30 a.m.

Workers could be seen rerouting water in order to make repairs and it's believed that water service in the area wasn't affected.

A section of Fifth Street East from Sydney Street to Amelia Street was closed overnight to traffic.

It's not known when the street will reopen.

© Cornwall Newswatch/Bill Kingston

A Cornwall public works supervisor watches for equipment to arrive at the site of a sinkhole on Fifth Street East on March 12, 2015. A water main break was to blame for the sinkhole.