Gwinnett road closed due to sinkhole could reopen in 2 weeks

Two sinkholes opened on Venture Drive near Gwinnett Place Mall due to a leaking drainage pipe, seen in this June 22, 2018 photo.

Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC

Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC

Two sinkholes opened on Venture Drive near Gwinnett Place Mall due to a leaking drainage pipe, seen in this June 22, 2018 photo.

Venture Drive has been closed between Pleasant Hill Road and Steve Reynolds Boulevard near the Gwinnett Place Mall for nearly a month due to two sinkholes. It could reopen in two weeks, now that repairs have begun.

The sinkholes formed on land privately owned by Venture Outlet Mall LLC, which operates Santa Fe Mall. The company has hired a contractor to fix the sinkholes and the work could be complete in two weeks, said Rafael Barrera, Santa Fe Mall’s manager.

PREVIOUSLY | Gwinnett sues companies over sinkholes, calls them 'imminent danger'

Gwinnett County sued Venture Outlet Mall and Best Friends Development, which controls an adjacent property, asking a judge to force the companies to fix the sinkholes. Venture Outlet Mall was looking for a contractor shortly after the lawsuit was filed last month, an assistant mall manager said. The lawsuit is still active, according to Gwinnett County.

The sinkholes threatened a manhole leading to the county’s storm water system, which could have been “catastrophic,” the county says in the lawsuit.

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