Northbound lanes of Route 202 in King of Prussia closed again after dip develops
KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. (CBS) -- The northbound lanes of Route 202 (East DeKalb Pike) were closed Monday for the second time in a week after pavement started to sink and while the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation investigates if a smaller sinkhole nearby triggered problems on the roadway.
"Oh my! Here we go again," said Lisa Cristinzio, assistant manager at Marian's Attic, which funds Laurel House and its work to stop domestic violence.
A water-main break and a huge sinkhole shut down all lanes of East DeKalb Pike between Henderson Road and Saulin Boulevard on Monday, July 10. The road reopened two days later. Marian's Attic closed for a day because there was no water. PennDOT closed the northbound lanes of East DeKalb Pike again on Sunday.
"You know? It's like what's it going to do this week? They have to fix it," said manager Pattie Ceithamel.
Engineers from PennDOT investigated if a sinkhole in a storm-retention ditch next to the road caused the pavement on 202 to buckle. Ceithamel said this problem is not new, and there was a different sinkhole a couple of years ago.
"We had one in our parking lot, and then there was one on the grass, and now the one in the street," Ceithamel said.
PennDOT shared pictures of other sinkholes in Montgomery County. Officials gave pictures of holes on Germantown Pike in June 2022 and on Crooked Lane in March 2018.
"The rocks beneath our feet are limestone and dolomite, which is that magnesium limestone," said Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Senior Geologist Rose-Anna Behr. "They are prone to dissolution."
She said recent heavy rains destabilized the stone and other materials under our feet, roads, and businesses.
"That is the sand and gravel and clay that's been clogging them since before the last Ice Age, that material starts to move," Behr said.
That can then trigger sinkholes. To protect yourself, Behr suggested reporting any buckling on the roads or potholes that look larger than normal. She also suggested property owners fix and sewer or water-line problems. She said if roots can get in, that means water can get out and cause land on your property to shift.
"Don't drive through flooded roads because we don't know what's under that water. Even if you can see the curb or the guardrail and you know this should be three inches deep, or six inches deep, the road may not actually be under there anymore," Behr said.
Behr also said sinkhole insurance is available. That insurance will not cover yards. However, it should cover structures and infrastructure on your property.
Back at Marian's Attic, Ceithamel said the closures actually helped sales and donations.
"Even with having a day off, our sales were pretty good because people are forced to come through our parking lot. Whereas before people would just go down 202," Ceithamel said.
PennDOT spokeswoman Robyn Briggs said crews were working Monday to find if water flowed under the 202 from the potholes formed on the nearby private property. Therefore, the northbound lanes of 202 will be closed for at least the next day or two. Then, crews will open the road to find the cause of the sinking pavement. Briggs added the property owner is responsible for the repairs in the ditch and that PennDOT was working with the property owner.
PennDOT officials said they must check first to see if they can share the people or company that owns the property. The nearby sinkhole sits on a storm-retention ditch at the King of Prussia Center.
CBS News Philadelphia called the Montgomery County Department Board of Assessment Appeals. They said the owner of the property was King of Prussia Center, LLC. We called a company that has the same address given by the county.
We also called Hunter Durant Real Estate Advisory Firm, which is a leasing manager for businesses in the center. We are still waiting to hear back about the repairs.
