WASHINGTON — A sinkhole has caused headaches for drivers and repair workers alike in Germantown, Maryland, on Sunday, and some workers on the field say it may take weeks to fix the source of the problem.
The sinkhole opened up on Sunday morning, closing down Father Hurley Boulevard in both directions between Middlebrook Road and Crystal Rock Drive, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue.
According to workers on the scene, a metal pipe in the median of Father Hurley Boulevard that was designed to drain water into a creek rusted and collapsed, causing the sinkhole. Workers need to replace the entire metal pipe, which may take two to three weeks.
Traffic Advisory — Father Hurley Blvd will be closed in both directions between Middlebrook Road & Crystal Rock Drive due to a sinkhole. Expect significant delays. Seek alternate route.
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) July 22, 2018
Dave Dildine, in the WTOP Traffic Center, said traffic in the area wasn’t affected too much Sunday morning because there was an abundance of detours and few cars were on the road.
“The impact on traffic has been minimal so far,” Dildine said. He added that the impacts could be more pronounced during the weekday rush hours.
“Middlebrook Road, Route 118 and Crystal Rock Drive should able to absorb the detoured traffic but there could be localized delays at a few nearby intersections,” Dildine said. “With crews already getting to work on the road damage, it’s likely they will get Father Hurley Boulevard reopened ahead of schedule. In the meantime, it could take a day or two for drivers to figure out the best way to vector around the work zone.”
See a map of the affected area below:
WTOP’s Ralph Fox contributed to this report.
