A section of High Street in downtown Boston was closed Monday after a fire pipe broke, officials said.
At about midnight, police issued a traffic advisory that High Street was closed between Pearl and Oliver streets in the Financial District.
Video footage from WCVB-TV showed a hole in the road and water gushing into the street.
“This will impact the morning commute and traffic will be significantly impacted in the area,” Sgt. Detective John Boyle said by email. “Please seek an alternative route.”
As of 11:45 a.m., that section of High Street was still closed, Boyle said.
Police initially reported that a water main had broken, but it turned out to be a fire pipe, according to Tom Bagley, a spokesperson for the Boston Water and Sewer Commission.
The pipe connected to a nearby building’s fire-suppression system. The pipe is a private line and the commission is helping the building’s managers, who must hire a contractor to repair the pipe, Bagley said.
Emily Sweeney can be reached at emily.sweeney@globe.com. Follow her @emilysweeney and on Instagram @emilysweeney22.