Conditions worsened Monday night at a depression in a center lane of I-80 east in Wharton when it opened up into a sinkhole while Department of Transportation crews were working on it, officials said.
“Emergency repairs are always dynamic situations, and conditions can change quickly,” Transportation Commissioner Fran O’Connor said in a statement. “While conducting tests of the roadway to determine the extent of the damage, conditions worsened.”
The sinkhole was originally a 30-foot long depression in the highway near Exit 34 and the second to occur in two months. Officials inspected it early Monday morning and closed the eastbound lanes as a precaution.
The sinkhole opened up as crews were working on and testing the depression Monday night, officials said.
“It is too early to speculate on the cause of the sinkhole that developed last night,“ said Stephen Shapiro, a DOT spokesman on Tuesday. ”Crews are working to stabilize the area, and testing is ongoing.”
State Sen. Anthony Bucco, R-Morris, said he met with O’Connor and praised the DOT for being proactive.
“I want to thank Commissioner O’Connor and his team at the DOT for their vigilance in identifying the initial road depression and moving quickly to prevent any accidents or serious harm this situation could have caused,” he said. “Unfortunately, after further investigation and testing, the situation appears to be more severe than everyone anticipated.”
The new sinkhole is located 75 feet from a sinkhole that opened up on the right lane and shoulder of I-80 east in Wharton in December. That closed the eastbound lanes for four days until repairs could be made.
That sinkhole repair is stable and not affected by this incident, officials said. The December sinkhole was blamed on the collapse of an abandoned mine shaft.
There are approximately 588 mines beneath the surface in nine northern counties, mostly in a band across hilly northwestern New Jersey. They include the old mine that caused the I-80 sinkhole in Wharton, according to a map provided by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
DOT crews had been using ground penetrating radar and other tests on the depression before it opened up.
Officials are asking drivers to continue to follow a detour at Exit 28 in Roxbury, several miles from the sinkhole and take Route 46 east to Route 15 north in Dover to reconnect with I-80.
The DOT is working with local officials to minimize the impact of additional traffic on neighboring communities, O’Connor said. The other detour at Exit 34 requires drivers to use Main Street in Wharton to access Route 15 south to return to I-80 east of the sinkhole site.
“We ask motorists to avoid the area and be patient while repairs are being made,” O’Connor said.
Stories by Larry Higgs
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Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @CommutingLarry