Photo: West Virginia Department of Transportation
A massive sinkhole is threatening to swallow a police department in West Virginia. The sinkhole began forming in June near West Virginia Route 20 in the town of Hinton. It was 6 feet wide and about 30 feet deep at the time, and officials began working on a plan to repair it.
The Hinton Police Department is located near the sinkhole, and a clerk who works at the station told the New York Post they were forced to relocate several months ago.
Over the summer, crews installed a 120-foot temporary culvert and placed fill material under the road. That seemed to work, but heavy rains from Hurricane Nicole washed away the fill and made the sinkhole even larger.
The West Virginia Department of Transportation said they are going to install a temporary bridge over the road while they begin making plans for a permanent solution.
In order to repair the growing sinkhole, a 300-foot steel drainage structure must be installed under the road. According to CNN, West Virginia state Senator Stephen Baldwin said the project could cost upwards of $5 million.
The West Virginia Department of Transportation said they hope to have bids in place by the end of the year.