A sinkhole became so massive this week that it now threatens to swallow an entire police department.
“West Virginia Division of Highways is dealing with a unique situation in Hinton, where a sinkhole that opened up near the roadway and a police station has expanded due to this past weekend’s rain,” said a Facebook message from the division.
According to the division, a temporary fix was in place Tuesday to help motorists and pedestrians get around the area. Going forward, a design is “underway for a permanent fix that works around challenging conditions at the site.”
Crews from all over West Virginia are expected to be mobilized to assemble a temporary bridge as work continues on the permanent fix.
“If you drive by the area, you will see as many DOH uniforms as you can imagine,” said Deputy State Highway Engineer Joe Pack of the Hinton Sinkhole. He said that crews will work to make the assembly of the temporary bridge a fast and painless process.
According to WVNS, the sinkhole in front of the Hinton Police Department has been widening since at least June. The outlet reported that local schools went remote as the sinkhole widened.
Eventually, the long-term project to fix the sinkhole will be put up for bid, per WVNS reports, and a contractor for the project is expected by the end of 2022. Costs for the project are estimated at $4 million to $6 million.
“Sinkholes are common where the rock below the land surface is limestone, carbonate rock, salt beds, or rocks that can naturally be dissolved by groundwater circulating through them,” according to the United States Geological Survey. “As the rock dissolves, spaces and caverns develop underground.”
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