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A massive sinkhole caused the collapse and closure of Alhambra Valley Road, near Pinole and Richmond, on Wednesday, according to the Contra Costa County Department of Public Works.
The road was closed indefinitely after the pavement and earth below it crumbled and washed away, leaving a large gap on a popular roadway in the East Bay.
"This route to DVC, for me, cuts a 22-mile commute to 13 miles, so that's crazy," said Andony Husary of Pinole.
Drivers were forced onto alternate routes as crews scrambled to repair the road.
"The Pinole Creek, it runs right through there," Pinole resident Jeremy Gomez said. "There's probably a 6 to 8-foot drainage pipe under there. Obviously it went out. It's crazy, real deep. I don't know how they're going to fix it."
County officials also closed several other roads Wednesday because of mudslides and flooding. Another sinkhole opened in Orinda after heavy rains washed away part of a culvert near Miner and Camino Pablo roads.
Comment: Some other signs of earth 'opening up' in recent times include: