Let's Check in With Brooklyn's Epic Summer Sinkhole

It took like three whole months, but the epic summer sinkhole that ravaged a Sunset Park intersection is starting to look less like Hades’ gaping a**hole and more like a small nature fart wrangled and civilized by man. Yay!

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) walked us through the long and trying repair job on its Tumblr last Saturday.

“In early August, the roadway collapsed at the intersection of 64th Street and 5th Avenue in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn and the Bureau of Water and Sewer Operations (BWSO) quickly mobilized staff from its Water Distribution, Repair and Construction divisions to cordon off the area, shut down a 48-inch water main that runs through the collapse and backfill the hole to stabilize the area. Since then, work has continued around the clock to relocate utilities in the area of the collapse, remove the existing 48-inch water main, install a new main, flush it with chlorine, and reactivate it in order to ensure a reliable supply of water for southwestern Brooklyn. In addition, inspection of the manhole leading to a large sewer in the area of the collapse has shown that it too needs to be replaced. Supports and braces have been installed to buttress the water main during the necessary excavation and repairs to the manhole and DEP is working closely with the community to keep them informed about the progress of the repair work. This includes accommodating an MTA bus route on 5th Avenue and ensuring pedestrian access for local businesses. We thank our colleagues in BWSO for working hard to make these critical repairs in an expeditious manner while ensuring the safety of both workers and the public.”

Overkill? Maybe. But don’t complain til you’ve feasted your eyes on this underground scaffolding porn just released by the DEP.

And that, friends, is how the biggest municipal embarrassment of summer 2015 was transformed into a symbol of urban resilience and man strength. Hot.