Route 58 sinkhole due to pipe failure
Published 10:01 am Wednesday, October 19, 2016
- This was the scene when a sinkhole measuring approximately 15 feet wide and 15 feet deep had opened on Route 58 East early on Oct. 11. The hole has been temporarily filled in, and the cause was a pipe failure.
FRANKLIN
The large sinkhole that opened in the middle of U.S. Route 58 East was the result of a 66-inch pipe that failed, partly due to storm damage from hurricane Matthew. That’s according to information provided the Virginia Department of Transportation.
A contract diver inspected the submerged pipe for VDOT on Friday. Based on the diver’s observations, the agency has determined that the pipe cannot be repaired and must be replaced. VDOT estimates the replacement will take approximately two weeks and will require a traffic detour beginning this week.
The sinkhole has been filled and temporarily patched to prevent additional water from seeping in. It is located along a busy truck route near the border with Suffolk.
As of last Friday, a section of Route 58 East running over the Blackwater River remained closed to traffic. Vehicles were able to get by using the left lane.
A total of 10 roads in Southampton, Sussex and Isle of Wight counties remain closed as of Friday due to washouts from Hurricane Matthew.
VDOT crews are working 12-hour shifts to repair the roads and get them reopened to traffic.
