A portion of Southwest 27th Avenue was closed to traffic for numerous hours on Monday due to a sinkhole.
A portion of Southwest 27th Avenue was closed to traffic for numerous hours on Monday due to a sinkhole, causing major traffic delays.
Authorities said Southwest 27th Avenue was closed in the southbound lanes, between 6th and 7th streets. The area reopened to traffic around 10 p.m.
The Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department was called to the area to repair a water main.
A water pump was brought in to drain all the water under the surface, so crews could fill the hole and get traffic moving again. The sinkhole was only about 4x4, but underneath was a bigger deal.
"As fire crews got a little closer, they saw the damage was much wider than what appeared on the surface," said Iggy Carroll with Miami Fire-Rescue.
Beneath the surface of the sinkhole was approximately 10-feet wide, stretching three lanes.
The concern was, water was flowing underneath the surface and workers had to make sure other surface streets didn't pose a hazard to drivers.
"It appears something tremendous may have caused this to actually happen and it's a good thing that it occurred before actual rush hour traffic," Carroll said.
A broken pipe, rising sea level or high tide could be to blame for the sudden situation.
