Sinkhole in Orleans
Posted Oct 8, 2013 04:00:01 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
ORLEANS, Ont. – A sinkhole on St-Joseph Boulevard has caused road closures on a major artery in the east end, one year after the infamous 174 sinkhole.
The pavement gave way in the westbound lanes of St-Joseph Blvd., just before Maisonneuve, a little before noon on Monday. No one was injured.
Eyewitnesses watched, stunned, as the pavement lifted and water cascaded out.
“The pipe blew, and then you saw the road — it came out like a waterfall,” said Nathalie Jerome, who watched the sinkhole open up from a ServiceOntario office, across the street.
“We (saw) the bus — when it went in, you seen the road, because it’s a heavy vehicle, so the road would go up and down a bit,” Jerome told 1310News.
St-Joseph Blvd. is closed in both directions from Gabriel to Maisonneuve.
The City of Ottawa said crews will fill and pave the crater which should take until after the morning commute Tuesday.
Shortly after the sinkhole opened up, the area’s councillor tweeted that it was because of a watermain break:
While the sinkhole was caused by a watermain break, Ottawa Public Health says drinking water is not compromised and a boil water order is not being issued.
1310’s Kristy Cameron shot this video at the scene:
Crews excavated the site to get a look at the damaged watermain, and conducted a structural inspection.
This sinkhole reminds a lot of people of the 174 sinkhole, which opened up in the eastbound lanes of the highway, swallowing a car, in September 2012.
