Only two weeks after a sinkhole was found under New Jersey’s Interstate 80, the New Jersey Department of Transportation has confirmed the presence of a “significant void” under the center lane of eastbound I-80 that will require a lengthy repair.
A depression in the road was observed on February 10, and the cavity was found nearby. A design for the repair is in the works, and the New Jersey DOT did not give a completion date.
The New Jersey DOT said there were no immediate concerns about the stability of I-80 westbound.
“Crews will continue working around the clock until the road is stabilized and safe to reopen. The nature of the work is complex and time-consuming, making it hard to estimate when work will be complete,” said NJDOT Commissioner Fran O’Connor.
Work in identifying and filling areas of concern under the interstate to firm up the base of the road has expanded from 90 to around 135 locations. As of February 27, 51 had been drilled, and 36 had been filled with grout. The department said not all these sites are sinkholes, and some are areas that could develop into voids without attention. Multiple drill rigs are in use around the clock, but the department said workers are exercising “extreme caution” due to the level of precision the work requires.
The long-term plan is for the NJDOT to install a monitoring system to track conditions along the interstate with remote sensing technology on the pavement and under the road to detect changes and movement. Deeper underground sensors will monitor soil stability.
The eastbound lanes of I-80 near Wharton, New Jersey, were first shut down on the morning of February 10 for sinkhole repairs following the discovery of a depression on the road, 75 feet away from a sinkhole repair done in December.
An 11-foot-wide and 4-foot-deep sinkhole then formed later in the day on February 10, which crews excavated and stabilized. The site of the December repair remains stable.
