Mine Collapse Causes Huge Sinkhole Along NJ Highway

Road crews are repairing monster hole along I-80, with no clear date on when things will be fixed
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 28, 2024 11:00 AM CST
Mine Collapse Causes Huge Sinkhole Along NJ Highway
Work crews look on near a sinkhole that opened up along Interstate 80 near Wharton, New Jersey, on Thursday.   (WABC-TV via AP)

Road crews were repairing a short stretch of Interstate 80 in northern New Jersey on Friday where a sinkhole forced the eastbound lanes to shut down, but it was still unknown when they'll reopen. The highway's guardrail still hung suspended in the air across the gaping 40-foot-wide hole, which opened up when an abandoned mine collapsed under the highway's right shoulder on Thursday morning, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation. The sinkhole has forced motorists to take a short detour near Wharton, which is about 40 miles west of New York City, per the AP.

Crews have stabilized the area and started excavating. They'll work around the clock to repair the roadway, the highway department said Friday. The timing of when the eastbound lanes will open depends on how extensive the repairs will be and the upcoming weather, the department said. Drivers should continue to expect delays and use alternate routes. Some who live or work close to the sinkhole are now expressing their worries over the sinkhole.

"I am concerned, and I definitely want to know more info because there's a lot of people that live in here," one woman who resides in an apartment complex nearby tells CBS News. A local pub owner tells the network that "there are mine shafts all over this whole area," which he says used to go by the name "Iron Mountain." Per NJ.com, motorists in search of updates should check the state DOT's website. (More sinkhole stories.)

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