Latest news with #AndrewBechtel
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
NJ sinkhole issues continue; what happened on Route 80?
The Route 80 traffic nightmare worsens as a new sinkhole opened up on Interstate 80 Westbound Wednesday evening, now shutting it down in both directions. The eastbound stretch of I-80 through Wharton, New Jersey has been closed since Feb. 10 for repairs after a depression in the road way gave way to an 11-foot by 11-foot sinkhole. The new 15-foot by 15-foot hole opened up in the center median during a drilling operation, according to officials. Both these sinkholes are part of a series, following a previous December 40-foot by 40-foot hole that opened just 75 feet away from the February incident. Officials blamed abandoned mineshafts that collapsed. As of Thursday morning, New Jersey Department of Transportation announced that "all lanes remain closed and detoured at Exit 34 northbound in Wharton due to emergency construction." According to news officials, repairs on the existing sinkholes were expected to have lasted another two months, albeit the timeline is now subject to change and unclear as NJDOT continues to evaluate the new situation. The closure impacts a major artery for commuters in the tri-state area as well as truckers through the state of New Jersey, an east-west transcontinental freeway that crosses the country from the Garden State, through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and California. Sinkholes form when underground rock dissolves due to water, creating voids and cavities and then the surface sinks or collapses into them. They can result from seasonal changes such as freeze and thaw of the ground or extremes in precipitation like drought and heavy rain. Sinkholes are all about water causing disturbances of the soil. In the case of the I-80 sinkholes, officials are blaming mineshafts that have collapsed, but attributing them to water nonetheless. "What really causes these sinkholes to open up after such a long amount of time is water," College of New Jersey civil engineering professor Andrew Bechtel said in news reports. "Water probably caused the first sinkhole to collapse. When they filled it, they changed how water moved under I-80. And now they're probably developing a new one in a different place. So the realistic problem is to figure out where all these old mines go, and then fill and cap them and then rebuild the road on top." After the February sinkhole collapse and investigation, NJDOT said they "identified 90 locations to be assessed and mitigate potential instability or possible voids." Maria Francis is a Pennsylvania-based journalist with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team. This article originally appeared on NJ sinkhole closes Route 80; what we know about Route 80 sink hole
CBS News
11-02-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
I-80 eastbound remains closed in Wharton, New Jersey due to sinkhole
WHARTON, N.J. - Hopes of reopening Interstate 80 quickly have been dashed. A section of the eastbound lanes remains closed due to a 40-foot sinkhole, and it won't be an easy fix. It started out as a depression in the roadway Monday, and quickly opened up into a large sinkhole. "The minute they started to do the soil borings, that's when it opened up. So, you know, so it went from what we thought was going to be an easy fix to something much, much more difficult," State Senator Anthony Bucco said. It's not clear exactly how long it will take to reopen the closed lanes. What's causing the sinkholes? The new opening is just 75 feet from another sinkhole that closed I-80 in December. Officials are blaming abandoned mineshafts that have collapsed. "What really causes these sinkholes to open up after such a long amount of time is water," College of New Jersey civil engineering professor Andrew Bechtel said. "Water probably caused the first sinkhole to collapse. When they filled it, they changed how water moved under I-80. And now they're probably developing a new one in a different place. So the realistic problem is to figure out where all these old mines go, and then fill and cap them and then rebuild the road on top." Sinkholes causing anxiety, hurting local businesses The recurring sinkholes are causing anxiety for some drivers. "The underground is like Swiss cheese. So I guess there's a bunch of like mines that just weren't filled in properly. And they just keep collapsing in on themselves," Jefferson Township resident Jeiris Cook said. "I mean it's pretty scary, you know, to think that the ground could just come undone underneath your feet at any moment." The eastbound closure is causing traffic to back up for miles, and it's hurting some local businesses. At the Townsquare Diner on Route 15, the normally busy lunch hour was unusually quiet. "So people hear all the traffic in the area, they just divert. They go elsewhere," owner Peter Sedereas said. I-80 detour around sinkhole investigation All eastbound lanes are closed at Exit 34. Drivers should use Route 46 or Route 10 as an alternative. Route 46 eastbound alternative: Drivers on I-80 eastbound are advised to take Exit 28/Route 46 eastbound to Route 10/Ledgewood/Lake Hopatcong, which is several miles before the closure Continue on Route 46 eastbound Stay in the left two lanes to turn left at the traffic signal to continue on Route 46 eastbound Turn left onto Route 15 northbound in Dover back to I-80, or continue on Route 46 eastbound for about 12 miles and stay left for I-80 eastbound I-80 eastbound detour: Drivers on I-80 eastbound are being directed to take Exit 34 to Route 15/Wharton/Dover/Sparta Stay right following signs for Route 15/Jefferson/Dover/Sparta Stay in the left lane on North Main Street to Route 15 southbound/To I-80/Dover Merge onto Route 15 southbound Stay left to take the exit to I-80 eastbound
