A massive sinkhole opened up along one of the most frequently traveled roads in Midtown Atlanta this week, swallowing an SUV and causing headaches for drivers over the course of two days.
Officials raced to fix and seal the cavity, which opened up Tuesday afternoon on Ponce de Leon Avenue after a broken sewer pipe caused the surface to collapse. The road was immediately closed across several blocks.
“I am in close touch with all of our teams,” Mayor Andre Dickens wrote on Twitter. “Thanks for cooperating to avoid this area during rush hour (Tuesday) and tonight.”
I am in close touch with all of our teams. Thanks for cooperating to avoid this area during rush hour and tonight. https://t.co/sCuTEXksgS
— Andre Dickens (@andreforatlanta) June 27, 2023
Atlanta police said they received a call just before 2:15 p.m. Tuesday about a vehicle that fell into the hole just east of Piedmont Avenue. Photos showed the front of the white Ford Expedition tilted diagonally inside the hole. Only its rear tires remained on a level surface.
According to Channel 2 Action News, the driver was trying to make a right turn when the vehicle fell in. He managed to climb out of the driver’s-side window, while his wife escaped out of a back door, the Cartersville couple told the news station.
Airborne view from NewsChopper 2 of the hole that opened on Ponce just e. of Piedmont and partially swallowed an SUV. Most of Ponce shut down. Take North Ave. No big #ATLtraffic delays. https://t.co/tO1SVddgdp
— Triple Team Traffic (@WSBTraffic) June 27, 2023
Two tow trucks were needed to remove the Expedition, which had a badly damaged right-front tire and significant front-end damage. No injuries were reported, police said.
DWM has identified a breach in a sewer pipe as the cause of the sinkhole. Crews will be working through the night to repair. Ponce is currently closed to traffic in both directions between Argonne and Myrtle.#ATLWatershed #DWMatWork pic.twitter.com/0TJFHnPOL9
— Atlanta Watershed (@ATLWatershed) June 28, 2023
The city’s department of watershed management described the culprit as a “breach” in the pipe about 15 to 18 feet below the surface.
Traffic was immediately halted between Myrtle Street and Argonne Avenue as crews worked throughout Tuesday and Wednesday excavating and making repairs. A spokesperson for the department said there was no estimated time of completion.
The hole, located in front of Torched Hop Brewery and across the street from Mary Mac’s Tea Room, appeared to be about 5 feet deep and roughly 10 feet across.
“We’re planning on opening at 4 p.m. (Wednesday) unless the sinkhole swallows our building as well,” Torched Hop joked on its Instagram account.
By Wednesday morning, traffic had opened up some but the scene was still very active. Repairs continued in the afternoon amid rising summer temperatures as workers continued to dig out dirt from the hole.
That stretch of Ponce de Leon Avenue was built on a landfill that was filled in by 1892, according to the Library of Congress.
Credit: Library of Congress
Credit: Library of Congress
Nearly 68 years ago, workers attempted to fix a sinkhole in practically the exact same spot as Tuesday. In the summer of 1955, they were seen repairing a huge chasm on Ponce at Penn Avenue that extended more than 42 feet below the street and 25 feet in diameter. A photo showed the A&P Market building in the background, which is now Boogalou Restaurant & Lounge, located next to Torched Hop.
Credit: Van Toole
Credit: Van Toole
In Brookhaven last month, another road surface collapse shut down a large portion of Buford Highway. That sinkhole, which was 13 feet in diameter, was reported in the northbound lanes after a Georgia Department of Transportation contractor struck the main water line while working on a sidewalk enhancement project. Officials said water then seeped under the road.
— Presentation specialist Pete Corson contributed to this article.
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