(Source : AP) A sinkhole that opened along Interstate 80 in northern New Jersey on Thursday morning has forced authorities to close the highway’s eastbound lanes near Wharton, about 40 miles west of New York City. The sinkhole, measuring approximately 40 feet by 40 feet, was caused by the collapse of an abandoned mineshaft beneath the roadway, according to state transportation officials.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) has stabilized the area to prevent further damage, but the timeline for repairs remains unclear due to the complexity of the work and anticipated weather conditions. Crews are working around the clock to restore the highway, but it could take some time before the section of I-80 is fully reopened.
In the meantime, drivers are being rerouted via Route 46, as westbound traffic on I-80 remains unaffected. The closure comes during a period of lighter-than-usual traffic due to the holiday season, which has helped alleviate congestion in the area.
Local residents, familiar with the region’s mining history, have expressed concern about the sinkhole’s cause. “There are mineshafts all over this area,” said Jim Hill, a local pub owner. The region, once known as the Iron Mountain area, is home to numerous abandoned mines, some of which are still active underground.
As repairs continue, the NJDOT urges motorists to follow detour signs and avoid the affected area. The incident highlights the ongoing risks posed by old mining operations, some of which have left uncharted tunnels beneath local roads and communities.
Sinkholes, although rare in New York City, have recently garnered attention after two such incidents occurred within days of each other in 2021. According to the New York Times, one of the sinkholes formed on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, swallowing a car and tipping another, while the second appeared shortly afterward. Thankfully, no one was injured, but the events sparked social media chatter and underscored ongoing concerns about the city’s aging infrastructure.
Sinkholes, reported American Geo Sciences, are typically depressions in the ground caused by the collapse of underground spaces. These can occur naturally in areas with soluble rock formations, such as limestone or gypsum, which dissolve over time due to groundwater. Florida, Texas, and several other states prone to “karst terrain” are particularly susceptible to sinkholes. However, while New York City isn’t typically a sinkhole hotspot, the recent occurrences have raised alarms about infrastructure vulnerabilities exacerbated by intense weather events.
City officials have not yet pinpointed the exact cause of these sinkholes. However, Vincent Sapienza, the city’s Environmental Protection Commissioner, suggested that heavy rainfall often leads to the shifting of soils, sometimes triggering sinkholes. In some cases, leaks from buried water pipes, which are not always detectable from above ground, can weaken the soil structure, leading to collapses.
Despite the increasing frequency of severe storms linked to climate change, Sapienza noted that the number of sinkhole incidents in New York has been declining due to significant investments in improving underground infrastructure. However, the visibility of such sinkholes still makes them noteworthy events, drawing public attention to the challenges of maintaining a vast and often outdated urban infrastructure.
The recent sinkholes serve as a reminder of the need for continuous investment in infrastructure, particularly as climate change leads to more frequent and intense rainstorms that may further stress vulnerable areas.
