I-80 West in Wharton to close Friday night into Saturday for testing after sinkhole
Testing will take place after a sinkhole formed on the eastbound side of Interstate 80.
More Stories
Both sides of Interstate 80 will be at a standstill to start the weekend while crews continue to test and repair the road’s second sinkhole in two months.
Four days into repairing another sinkhole along I-80 eastbound, the impact from the detours is felt in quiet Wharton.
“What should be about 10 minutes has taken me about two hours to get to work every day,” said Wharton resident Adnan Brescic.
Chris Renne commutes along 80 into New York City. He says it’s taken him three hours to get in this week.
“The traffic in town has been horrendous,” said Mayor William Chegwidden. “It really is a debacle here. Over 100,000 cars a day come through this corridor here. That's crazy to me. Now, you're pushing that onto our streets.”
The 4-foot-deep sinkhole developed in the center lane, while DOT repaired a depression it noticed Monday morning. It is about 75 feet away from the previous sinkhole, which broke when an abandoned mineshaft collapsed.
Wharton police say Thursday’s meeting with DOT produced a traffic solution.
“Potentially pushing truck traffic - instead of going Route 15 south, pushing them on the North Main Street extension to Route 15 north and getting them through the traffic light,” said Police Chief David Young.
The sinkhole has been filled, but the eastbound lanes are still closed. The westbound lanes will close from 11 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Saturday as crews continue boring and testing.
"I’d be lying if I say I didn’t think twice driving west the other day,” said Renne. “It was a little sketchy.”
“I do think they should have confidence,” said Chegwidden. “I don't think the DOT would take that chance. Anybody who lives in the area knows that these mines have been here. So, yeah, there's some gaps in there, I'm sure.”
