WHARTON, NJ – Interstate 80 in Wharton, New Jersey, has fully reopened to traffic following emergency repairs to a significant sinkhole that developed earlier this week.
The 40-foot sinkhole, attributed to the collapse of an abandoned mineshaft beneath the highway, forced the closure of eastbound lanes for several days, causing major traffic disruptions.
The eastbound lanes of I-80 were initially expected to reopen on Monday but weather conditions affected the repair.
Crews worked around the clock to fill the void and stabilize the roadway. The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) expressed gratitude for the tireless efforts of their teams and contractors in ensuring a swift and safe reopening.
DJDOT Commissioner Fran O’Connor said in a statement:
“I want to commend the outstanding efforts of the NJDOT and contractor crews that worked tirelessly to get Interstate 80 reopened quickly and safely for the motoring public. Given the extensive nature of the damage, it is truly remarkable the amount of work that was done in such a short amount of time.”
Motorists are advised to exercise caution in the area as final inspections and any remaining work are completed.
New Jersey has hundreds of abandoned mines with a couple mines located in Wharton, alone. The mineshaft that caused the sinkhole to open in Wharton was 40-ft wide and 40-ft deep.
Bill Kroth, a geotechnical engineer and president of the Sterling Hill Mining Museum told PIX11:
“Northern New Jersey had tremendous numbers of mines. We have copper mines in Bergen County. Passaic County [and] Sussex County had iron mines. A lot of the mines weren’t properly backfilled. And even if they are properly backfilled, soil settles, they get compacted underground by nature, by moving water – things like that – and you can create a void.”
