A parking garage in downtown St. John's took on a spooky look Friday morning when an aging pipe burst.

A broken water main flooded several lots off Harbour Drive, including the parking garage at the Fortis office tower. (Cecil Haire/CBC)

The city shut down traffic on the eastern part of Harbour Drive after the water main broke.

Water flooded the road, which hugs St. John's harbour and is a major connection for commuters to downtown streets and the east end, including the enclosed lot at the Fortis office tower.

The Fortis building was closed for the morning while crews cleaned up. Some businesses in the tower were later able to reopen, while others could not.

The Harbour Drive break also meant low water pressure for residents in higher elevations. Some residents are also getting discoloured water.

"That's a large main and it'll be a large job. It'll certainly take all day to do the repair, if not longer," said Paul Mackey, the city's director of public works.

Some buildings on Water Street and Duckworth Street also had their water shut off.