Motorists are being told to stay away from an entrance to one of Auckland’s largest shopping centres after a water main burst, rupturing the road and flooding lanes.

Watercare said it was alerted to a mains burst on Carbine Rd in Mt Wellington close to Sylvia Park at 11.17am.

A crew arrived at 12.15pm to “isolate the burst and begin repairs”.

“As a result of the incident, about 50 properties experienced low pressure or no water.”

The cause of the burst was attributed to a third party, Watercare said.

“We have now restored pressure to the water supply by shutting down valves to isolate the affected area, allowing the rest of the water main to build pressure.

“There are no properties connected to the affected area and repairs to the water main are now under way.”

Police said they were notified of the burst main at 11.13am.

“At this stage Carbine Rd, between Clemow Drive and Te Ahoterangi Rise, has been affected.”

Pictures show the seal surface on two lanes ruptured into a pipe-shaped mound and water rushing out of cracks on to the street.

A burst water pipe has ruptured the road and caused traffic delays at Carbine Rd in Mt Wellington near Sylvia Park mall in Auckland. Photo / Nichola Barnden

Emergency workers are at the scene cordoning off sections of the flooded road while cars cautiously travel over the disintegrated road surface.

A burst water pipe has caused damage on Carbine Rd in Mt Wellington near Sylvia Park mall in Auckland. Photo / Michael Craig

A burst water pipe has ruptured the road and caused traffic delays. Photo / Nichola Barnden

Police were directing traffic on the road, but advised motorists to avoid the area, which included the entry to Sylvia Park Shopping Centre, until it had been cleared.

A burst water pipe is slowing traffic near Carbine Rd in Mt Wellington. Photo / Google Maps

Traffic was at a near-standstill across a 400m section of Carbine Rd.

It’s the second episode to affect Auckland roads in the past two days after a sinkhole formed in St Marys Bay yesterday.

- NZ Herald