Work was due to start on repairing the damaged pipe in the road below the site of an Auckland sinkhole

The metre-by-three-metre hole opened up yesterday afternoon, disrupting traffic between Ponsonby and the CBD.

Head of Healthy Waters Andrew Chin says the old pipe was on the list to be addressed.

He says after the January flooding, some temporary work was done ahead of a full fix.

Chin says the contract has been tendered for a comprehensive replacement all the way down the street to replace the pipe with a larger one.

He says they were due to begin on August 7.