ATLANTA — Crews are still working this Wednesday morning to repair a massive sinkhole on a busy stretch of road in Midtown Atlanta after an SUV fell inside it.
11Alive's Traffic Expert Crash Clark recommends using North Avenue to avoid traffic Wednesday mornings as people begin to get out for work.
The sinkhole caused a disruptive traffic situation on Tuesday. It happened on Ponce de Leon Avenue, right in front of Torched Hop Brewery and near Mary Mac's Tea Room.
In an update on Tuesday afternoon, ATLDOT Commissioner Solomon Caviness said the cause of the sinkhole is still unknown, but it appears to have occurred due to a broken pipe underneath the road's surface.
"Crews are on site now evaluating the situation. At this time, we have no idea how long it will take (to reopen the road) but as soon as we do, we'll get that out," Caviness said.
ATLDOT crews are working to secure the lanes with a barrier in order to maintain traffic in a safe way.
As of Tuesday evening, the westbound lanes of Ponce de Leon Avenue have opened. Eastbound traffic is reduced to one lane. Officials said for drivers to avoid using Ponce between Myrtle and Argonne if possible and to drive slowly to watch out for pedestrians and work crews on site.
Caviness said detours would be marked for drivers during their morning commutes.
"This is an absolutely abnormal circumstance and there are a number of infrastructure challenges that would've led to this," he said.
Caviness said crews are still working on the full assessment of the road's damage. He added crews evaluate the infrastructure of Atlanta's roads on a 5-year cycle, but they're currently working on a process to evaluate on a more consistent cycle.
At this time, there is no word on how long it will take the scene to be cleared.
Photos | Sinkhole opens up in Midtown Atlanta
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