Community Corner
Traffic Alert: Heavy Rains Lead To 20-foot Sinkhole on Mallard Creek Road
Heavy rains are to blame for a 20-foot sinkhole that formed on Mallard Creek overnight. If you're headed to that area, prepare for a detour.
CHARLOTTE, NC -- A section of Mallard Creek road is closed Tuesday after heavy rains moving through the region overnight created a massive 20-foot wide sinkhole, according to North Carolina officials.
The 15-foot deep sinkhole spans both lanes of Mallard Creek and is located between Ridge Road and Johnston-Oehler Road. Drivers will be directed around the area through a marked detour route.
A tractor trailer driving down the section of road drove right over it, according to local reports.
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North Carolina Department of Transportation crews said they will use a trackhoe Tuesday to remove asphalt in order to ascertain the extent of the damage, but stopped short of offering a timeline on when area motorists could expect the section of road to reopen. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news in NoDa, Belmont & Plaza Midwood — or other neighborhoods. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)
Wow. This 20-foot SINKHOLE will keep Mallard Creek Rd closed for days. Amazingly, the driver who flew over it wasn't seriously hurt. @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/cC2lBEr5yY
— Mark Barber (@MBarberWSOC9) August 15, 2017
“Assessing the damage and putting an emergency contract together may take a few days. There is not a current timeframe or cost estimate for repairs,” NCDOT said in a statement.
Find out what's happening in NoDa-Midwood-Belmontfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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