ROY, Utah — Morning commuters had a sinking feeling Friday that they may not make it to wherever they were headed on time after a sinkhole on southbound Interstate 15 in Roy caused major delays, eventually shutting down two lanes.
While the backups and delays can be frustrating for drivers, the Utah Department of Transportation shared how safety has to remain its top priority.
UDOT was first alerted to the sinkhole just south of where I-15 intersects with West 5600 South on Friday morning.
“Initially, we thought we’d have to just close down the far-right lane, but the sinkhole started to encroach on the second lane," said UDOT spokesperson Mitch Shaw.
To make repairs, UDOT crews cut out the piece of concrete where the sinkhole was located and filled the void with road base before compacting it down and paving over the repair.
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“There is a pipe that was bored underneath the roadway about a year ago, and for whatever reason, the road base is kind of washing away,” added Shaw.
It's part of Adam McKean's job with the Utah Geological Survey to help people understand geological hazards in the state. He explained how sinkholes are typically caused by water carrying something away and creating a hole.
“That could start small, as it begins to collapse in, but then it can grow larger," he said. "It’s just determined by the size of the hole under the ground.”
Shaw assures drivers that the sinkhole repair is safe to travel on; if there was any chance that the infrastructure was compromised, they wouldn't let the public drive on it.
“We’re going to do our best to make sure we take care of this stuff as quickly as possible, and that the fix is one that is safe, and people will be able to travel safely after we’re done,” he said.
“I’m not really worried about the safety," added Todd Banner from Weber County, "just pay attention to where you’re going, deal with it, skirt around it, and plan ahead.”
