Driving on Interstate 80 near Denville
The sinkhole that closed all eastbound lanes of Interstate 80 Monday morning at Exit 34 in Wharton in Morris County, New Jersey, has progressed to a full road collapse that “is not going to be an easy fix,” said state Senator Anthony Bucco after viewing the damage.
The new sinkhole is just 75’ (23 m) from the sinkhole that opened up in the right lane and shoulder of the highway last December.
After the New Jersey Department of Transportation brought in soil boring equipment to verify the structural integrity of the road, the roadbed collapsed while borings were being taken. Video shared on social media shows one highway working barely escaping being swallowed by the collapse.
“I-80 eastbound will remain closed until further notice,” the New Jersey Department of Transportation said in a statement.
The new sinkhole was first spotted by New Jersey State Police at 6:45 a.m. on Monday in the middle of the roadway. This necessitated the closure of all eastbound lanes at Exit 34 in Wharton to allow crews to conduct emergency repairs. Traffic was diverted to local roads, causing significant delays.
For eastbound drivers, the DOT suggests two detours. Drivers can take Route 46 east by exiting I-80 at Exit 28 and following signs for either Route 10 or Route 15 to rejoin I-80 west of the sinkhole, or they can take Exit 34 to Route 15, continue to North Main Street, return to Route 15 south, and rejoin I-80 west of the closure.
This latest sinkhole made its presence known less than two months after a huge sinkhole that was the size and depth of a four-story building kept the highway closed for days.
Interstate 80, known as I-80, is an east-west transcontinental controlled-access highway that crosses the United States from Teaneck, New Jersey, to San Francisco, California. It is the one Interstate that closely approximates the route of the historic early 20th century Lincoln Highway. With a length of 2,900.76 miles (4668,32 km), it not only the second longest Interstate in the country but it also runs through many major cities and passes within ten miles (16 km) of Chicago, Cleveland, and New York City.
(Photo: Accura Media Group)
