Incidents

Portion of road remains closed due to growing sinkhole in DeBary

By Kelly Healey, Jason Kelly and Q McCray, WFTV.com
By Kelly Healey, Jason Kelly and Q McCray, WFTV.com
A sinkhole that caused traffic issues in DeBary Friday reopened Saturday after a water pipe in the hole burst, the Florida Department of Transportation said.
The sinkhole opened on North Charles Richard Beall Boulevard and Hollow Pine Drive.

DeBARY, Fla. — The hole was 30 feet wide and 5 feet deep Friday. Officials said Monday that it has grown to 50 feet wide.

Download: WFTV mobile apps | WFTV Live Traffic Tracker
FDOT said it's unknown when the road's northbound lanes will reopen. Drivers may take East Highbanks Road to Enterprise Road to Saxon Boulevard as a detour.
“We have a bus stop. We have kids going to school, and school buses may need to be rerouted,” FDOT spokesman Steve Olson said Saturday. “We have utilities underground, plus the road itself, so there's a whole bunch of things going on here.”

TRENDING NOW:

Crews used a cone penetrometer truck to test the ground around the hole, FDOT said.
“It sends a rod 50 feet into the soil to test its stability. If the ground is stable, it could open one northbound lane on Charles Richard Beall,” Channel 9 reporter Q McCray said on Twitter.  
Watch: Skywitness 9 video over giant sinkhole
According to FDOT officials, a water pipe in the hole that had no support beneath it broke, causing dirt to drop an estimated 25 feet, widening the hole.
Frustrated drivers had to cope with a detour.
"It's ridiculous. I got to drop the kids off at the babysitter and I have to get back to work," driver Eliana Claudio said.
FDOT decided to fill the hole with dirt as concerned neighbors watched from a distance.
"It's scary, because I live over here in the middle building," resident Edwin Rodriguez said.
FDOT said it will pay a contractor about $594,000 to repair the hole.
A precautionary boil water advisory is in effect through Tuesday for 95 customers who live near the sinkhole.
Resident Edwin Rodriguez said his drinking water was cloudy Monday afternoon, but it had improved hours later.
"(It looks) better, much better," he said. "You get a little worried when it's cloudy."
The county said the cloudiness is caused by minerals and sediment that was stirred up when a large pipe burst over the weekend.
Officials said the discoloration is common after such a break and isn't a health hazard.

Cox Media Group

Most Read