Baltimore City crews on Friday completed repairs to a 12-inch water main break that caused a large sinkhole to open and swallow a vehicle last week.
The sinkhole on the 900 block of North Chester Street in East Baltimore opened up just after midnight on July 18, according to the Baltimore Police Department. A vehicle fell into the hole, but the 50-year-old driver managed to escape, police said.
The roadway, which was shut down for days as crews worked to repair the sinkhole, reopened on Friday, according to the city’s Department of Public Works.
Matthew Garbark, the city’s public works director, had warned Baltimoreans that it would take days to repair the damage because both a large storm drain and the water main were damaged.
“There are several large utilities that are involved,” he said in a video.
Following the repair of the sinkhole, crews also conducted compaction tests on the road and inspections of the nearby storm drain, said Mary Stewart, a spokesperson for the DPW.
“No deficiencies or other issues were found,” she added.
Videos of the incident showed water rushing into the sinkhole as a white vehicle slowly sank into it. Hours later on the morning of July 18, the sinkhole grew to the width of the street. Some properties in the area were left without water temporarily.
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