Sinkhole closes central Toledo intersection

Construction workers excavate a sinkhole that opened up Tuesday on Fernwood Avenue near its intersection with North Detroit Avenue in Toledo. The hole was originally about 10 feet wide, but crews enlarged it in an effort to determine what caused the sink-hole. When they were done, the hole measured about seven feet deep and about 15 feet wide.

The intersection of Fernwood Avenue and North Detroit Avenue in central Toledo remains closed today so crews can work on repair of a sinkhole that opened up on Fernwood on Monday.

Fernwood could be closed through Thursday, depending on how repairs go today, said Lisa Ward, city spokesman.

Crews late Tuesday were 20 feet deep and had reached a 24-inch brick main.

The plan for today, utilities officials said, was to replace at least 10 feet of the main with PVC sleeved into it and a concrete collar around it.

The hole proved too massive for the city to repair, so Taylor Excavating started the repairs Tuesday morning, she said.

It was unknown exactly how long the job would take because it was unclear what kind of damage the crews would find and how deep they would need to dig to repair the sinkhole, she said. For that reason, city authorities did not yet know the cost of repairs or from what fund it would be come from: water or storm sewer, the spokesman said.

Last July, a woman was taken to a hospital after her car was swallowed by a sinkhole in central Toledo.

Pamela Knox of Toledo, who was taken to a local hospital to be checked for injuries, was driving southbound on North Detroit Avenue when her car fell into a large sinkhole near Bancroft Street.

Ms. Knox reportedly was able to climb out of the hole herself with the help of a ladder after being trapped for several minutes, officials said.

The cause of the sinkhole was a collapse of combined sanitary and storm sewers.

Officials estimated the hole was deeper than 10 feet.