Guerneville Disturbs Traffic, Repairs To Begin Soon

GUERNEVILLE, CA — A small hole near the top of an underground manhole created a sinkhole in Guerneville Tuesday, Sonoma County Water Agency officials said.

The sinkhole, located adjacent to River Road near the Russian River County Sanitation District main lift station, measures approximately 24 inches by 36 inches.

The hole led Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol to temporarily limit traffic to one lane in the 17000 block of River Road, near Riverside Drive. A temporary steel plate will cover the sinkhole until repairs are made to avoid continued traffic restrictions.

There was no interruption of service to sanitation customers as a result of the sinkhole.
The hole in the manhole is believed to be the result of corrosion in the 40-year-old structure. Soil and water from outside the manhole would have weakened the area around the manhole to create the sinkhole.

Sonoma Water and Caltrans officials will communicate to develop a repair plan and emergency repairs are expected to start as soon as possible, and will last several days.

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