Airport Runway in Tennessee
The Tri-Cities Airport (TRI) announced on Wednesday, June 10, that its main runway remains closed due to the sinkhole.
"Runway 5/23 remains closed today as repair work continues following the discovery of a sinkhole beneath the runway surface," a Facebook post from the airport reads. "Concrete has been poured, and crews are allowing adequate time for the material to cure before additional work and evaluations can be completed."
The airport says passengers should check directly with their airlines regarding the status of upcoming flights.
Local outlet WJHL reported Tuesday that the sinkhole measures approximately 20 feet by 20 feet and is 17 feet deep.
TRI's executive director Gene Cossey says it could take anywhere from 24 to 36 hours for the concrete poured in the sinkhole to cure.
"It's really hard to predict exactly how long the concrete will take to cure," Cossey told WJHL. "But of course, safety comes first, so we're not going to open the runway until it's safe to do so."
Affected passenger Odessa Burrow is taking the news in stride.
"It's kind of humorous because we just made the reservation today," Burrow told WJHL. "I was hoping for a quick flight out of Tri-Cities to Santa Barbara, but it wasn't meant to be, it was just meant for me to be in Tri-Cities for another day or two."
PEOPLE reached out to TRI for comment.
In late May, a runway at New York City's LaGuardia Airport was shut down for several days due to a sinkhole.
"Following a thorough inspection of LaGuardia's airfield pavement using ground-penetrating radar, areas of concern were identified and proactively repaired," the airport said in a statement. "Those repairs are now complete, and Runway 4/22 has been reopened. Our investigation into the cause of the sinkhole is ongoing."
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