'Bus-Swallowing' Sinkhole Opens On Detroit's West Side
DETROIT (WWJ) - A massive sinkhole could keep a busy street on Detroit's west side closed for weeks.
Darryl Latimer, deputy director of the city's water department, said crews discovered the sinkhole Friday afternoon at the intersection of Monterey and Linwood.
"We were out here doing some investigation where we were televising the sewer lines," Latimer told WWJ's Kathryn Larson. "As we were televising the sewer lines, we noticed a void in the sewer line and we found out what was causing that void."
Latimer told WWJ's Kathryn Larson the gaping hole is 30-feet wide and 16-feet deep. It was likely caused by an underground water pipe that burst.
Elmhurst Recovery Maintenance Supervisor Kevin McDean said it will likely take weeks to repair the sinkhole, and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
"The regular transportation buses, you could probably fit about five of them with enough room for extra cars," he said. "When you look down there, it looks like a city down there with all the piping and everything that actually broke and gave way when the hole went in."
Latimer said until they can figure out how to fix the sinkhole, the intersection will remain blocked off.
"It's confined to that area, as far as we can see. We're going to do some further investigation and check the integrity of the area, but it doesn't seem to be too widespread other than that area right there," he said.
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