Water from a broken water main caused a sinkhole to open along Massachusetts Ave., causing structural damages that may take over a week for the District Department of Transportation to repair.
DDOT says a large sinkhole along Fort Dupont Park in southeast Washington could take a week to 10 days to repair.
The sinkhole seemed to be contained to the side of the road, but officials are concerned vehicles traveling on the roadway could cause the erosion to expand to the area underneath the road. News4's Megan McGrath spotted long cracks in the pavement on Massachusetts Avenue SE, a sign the roadway may already be compromised and unsafe.
The curb has already pulled away from the road, leaving a gap between it and the roadway.
A road closure was ordered to help prevent any further damage. Massachusetts Avenue between 34th Place and N Street could be closed for days as crews shore up the sinkhole. Residents can still access their homes despite the closure.
DC Water says an 8-inch water main break caused the sinkhole; the main has since been repaired.
Drivers can use Branch Avenue or Fort Dupont as an alternate
Huge sink hole causing problems in SE. Could take days to fix and reopen Massachusetts Ave at 34th Pl. https://t.co/jAPM9kfFho — Megan McGrath (@MeganMcGrath4) January 31, 2014
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Gap between curb and asphalt continues to widen on Massachusetts Ave, SE at site of sink hole. pic.twitter.com/O26J7NkTOP — Megan McGrath (@MeganMcGrath4) January 31, 2014
