I-80 Sinkhole Update: All Lanes Now Open In Truckee

The I-80 sinkhole near Truckee, California has been filled and all lanes are now open.

The interstate was shut down this morning after a sinkhole was discovered near Donner Pass Road.

Both east and westbound lanes were initially shut down as construction crews assessed the problem. The westbound side of the highway was eventually reopened as the California Highway Patrol determined that westbound traffic was not in any danger.

Crews continued to work on the I-80 sinkhole and according to the Sacramento Bee the problem has now been solved. All lanes of traffic on Interstate 80 near Truckee have now been reopened.

The I-80 sinkhole opened up this morning as construction crews laid down pavement in the area. The hole appeared suddenly but Caltrans spokeswoman Rochelle Jenkins said that the problem probably developed over several years.

Jenkins said that the sinkhole was located near an underground culvert and was probably the result of erosion.

Jenkins said: “Water invasively tries to find its way through things and doesn’t always make it through culverts, as much as we try… It has been developing for a while. Not something that developed over the week.”

Gilbert Mohtes-Chan, another Caltrans information officer, said that the official cause of the I-80 sinkhole is not known yet.

You can see a video about the sinkhole in California here.

California isn’t the only state that had a scare with a sinkhole this week. A massive hole in Louisiana recently swallowed up a group of trees as it continues to expand through the bayou.