Massive sinkhole and major utility damage in East Baltimore will take days to repair

It will take days to repair a massive sinkhole that opened on an East Baltimore street early Saturday as crews assess major utility damage, city officials said.

Matthew Garbark, director of Baltimore’s Department of Public Works, said the department is focused on bringing back water service Saturday but its crews will need days to assess and repair a water main break and damage to a large storm drain.

The intersection of North Chester Street and Ashland Avenue will remain closed until the repairs are complete, he added.

The sinkhole swallowed a vehicle around 12:21 a.m. in the Middle East neighborhood, according to the Baltimore Police Department. The driver was a 50-year-old woman who escaped, police said. No injuries were reported.

Videos posted to social media showed a car partially submerged in water inside the sinkhole as crews cordoned off the area. The sinkhole stretched the width of the road.

The Baltimore Department of Transportation and Department of Public Works crews were on the scene working to repair the broken 12-inch water main. Officials are asking motorists to avoid the area, expect traffic impacts and follow posted detours.

On the same day last year, a vehicle was trapped inside a sinkhole in the 3000 block of Brehms Lane in the Belair-Edison neighborhood, said Niki Fennoy, a spokesperson for the Baltimore Police Department. No one was injured in that incident as well.

This article has been updated.