Sinkhole in New Jersey keeps I-80 closed after a section collapses into an abandoned mine

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A sinkhole that opened up Thursday along Interstate 80 in northern New Jersey forced authorities to close the heavily traveled highway’s eastbound lanes. The sinkhole was discovered near Wharton, which is about 40 miles west of New York City.

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Work crews look on as a sinkhole opened up along Interstate 80 near Wharton, N.J. on Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (WABC-TV via AP)

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Work crews look on as a sinkhole opened up along Interstate 80 near Wharton, N.J. on Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (WABC-TV via AP)

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Work crews look on as a sinkhole opened up along Interstate 80 near Wharton, N.J. on Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (WABC-TV via AP)

WHARTON, N.J. (AP) — Road crews were repairing a short stretch of Interstate 80 in northern New Jersey on Friday where a sinkhole forced the eastbound lanes to shut down, but it was still unknown when they will reopen.

The highway’s guardrail still hung suspended in the air across the gaping 40-foot-wide (12-meter) hole, which opened up when an abandoned mine collapsed under the highway’s right shoulder Thursday morning, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

The sinkhole has forced motorists to take a short detour near Wharton, which is about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of New York City.

Crews have stabilized the area and started excavating. They will work around the clock to the repair the roadway, the highway department said Friday.

The timing of when the eastbound lanes will upon depends on how extensive the repairs will be and the upcoming weather, the department said. Drivers should continue to expect delays and use alternate routes.