A sinkhole has opened up in the middle of the intersection of Main Street and Fairford Street, forcing motorists to squeeze past the hole in the ground.
City crews blocked off the sinkhole early on March 8 and erected four barricades and several pylons to prevent motorists from driving into it. The hole is roughly six feet by five feet by four feet in size, based on an eyeball estimate while standing in front of it. The city says it was caused by a previous watermain break.
Traffic restrictions will be in place Tuesday as the city works on the sinkhole. Expect detours and obey all signage. Pedestrian sidewalk access will not be affected. The city expects the road to re-open to traffic by Wednesday. Motorists are reminded that no left turns are allowed at that intersection between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Transit will also be affected. As of Mar. 9, all transit stops on Main Street N. between Fairford and Athabasca St. will be temporarily out of service. Additional temporary bus stops will be added at the Northwest and the Northeast corners of First Ave. N.W. and Ominica Street W.
Additionally, please note the transfer point will be temporarily relocated to First Ave. N.W. between River Street W. and High Street in front of Mosaic Place. Buses outbound to Route 1, Route 2, and Route 3 will board on the east side of the street, while the bus outbound to Route 4 will board on the west side.
According to National Geographic, sinkholes are cavities in the ground that form when water erodes an underlying rock layer. Two types of sinkholes exist. One forms when the roof of a cave collapses and exposes the underground cavern. The second type forms when water dissolves the rock underneath soil and creates an underground chasm. Without rock to support it, the soil layer collapses and creates a hole on the surface.
Sinkholes are also known as a cenote, sink, sink-hole, swallet, swallow hole, or doline (the different terms for sinkholes are often used interchangeably, according to Wikipedia. The largest sinkhole in the world is in Cairo, Egypt and measures 80 kilometres long and 120 kilometres wide.
