New sinkhole opens up on I-80 in Wharton, New Jersey

WHARTON, New Jersey (WABC) -- Another sinkhole opened up on I-80 in Wharton, New Jersey, on Wednesday evening, backing up traffic for miles and changing your commute on Thursday.

NewsCopter 7 was over the scene of the new sinkhole that opened up near Exit 34.

NJDOT says that during a drilling operation, a 15-foot by 15-foot hole opened up in the median.

Out of an abundance of caution the agency has closed and detoured all lanes on I-80 westbound at Exit 34B/Route 15 northbound.


It's unclear when it will reopen.



The busy highway has been plagued with sinkholes since December because of old mine shafts that run beneath it.

The eastbound lanes had already been closed as crews continue working on repairs from the other sinkholes.

NJDOT was working to create a "crossover," which would shift one lane of eastbound traffic into the westbound lanes that would help massive trucks and tractor trailers for utilizing detours and alternative routes.

It's not clear yet how this new sinkhole may impact those plans.

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