Large sinkhole develops overnight in Austin, Texas neighborhood

James Barragan
Austin American-Statesman
Sat, 04 Jun 2016 10:40 UTC

Residents of Sierra Blanca Street in Northwest Austin woke up to sinkhole on their road that developed overnight as rain pounded the city.

Around 9 p.m., Austin police reported that a sinkhole had formed on the 10800 block of Sierra Blanca and said the road would be shut down for days until it could be repaired. Authorities aren't sure whether the hole was caused by the rain, but noted that the street where it formed was hit with heavy rainfall.

"The street is closed to motor vehicle traffic right now," Carolyn Perez, the public affairs manager for the city's public works department, said Saturday morning. "We're asking people not to move the barricade. ... We're asking for the public's consideration."

Perez said she estimated the whole was 6 feet deep and 6 feet wide.

"It's a sizable hole," she said. "We would not want someone to drive there and not realize it's there. It's at the bottom of a slight hill and you won't see it until you're right up on it, especially at night."

Perez said the Public Works Department was working with police to keep people off the street. She said a fence would be put up around the hole. An engineer from the department will inspect the hole later Saturday to determine what caused it and how long repairs will take.