Both northbound lanes of the George Washington Memorial Parkway from Virginia 123, Chain Bridge Road, to Interstate 495 will remain closed Sunday. The National Park Service hopes to have at least one northbound lane open in time for the Monday evening rush hour, weather dependent.
The National Park Service said on Saturday that they hoped at least one northbound lane would be reopened by Monday, but Sunday’s rain slowed efforts to repair the damage.
Engineers on Saturday surveyed the scene and said a 60-year-old, 40-foot deep brick inlet appeared to have failed, causing the 10-foot deep, 30-foot long and 20-foot wide sinkhole.
After stabilization work is done, one northbound lane will reopen and one lane will remain closed until a long-term fix can be made.
Engineers and officials from the Federal Highway Administration said that a long-term fix will come over the next few weeks, but that it may be complex and take some time.
A sinkhole developed in the same area, near Dead Run, in March. That sinkhole opened up underneath the road following heavy rain.
The National Park Service said that sinkholes along roadways are a common occurrence in the Greater Washington area, especially during periods of extended rainfall like the area saw on May 10 and 11.
WTOP’s Dan Friedell contributed to this report.
