Sinkhole in Center City prompts SEPTA detours, commuter frustration
Sinking streets: Commuters frustrated after Center City sinkhole causes issues
A small sinkhole in Center City is causing a big headache for many in Philadelphia.
PHILADELPHIA - A small sinkhole that opened up in Center City is causing a big headache for travelers, pedestrians and bicyclists.
What we know:
The hole on Walnut Street between 7th and 8th streets now filled with orange cones could take weeks to fix.
"It’s dangerous for a bike, a car, everything" said an Uber Eats bicyclist who was making a delivery on the block and had to navigate.
Just a few feet wide, Philly's latest sinkhole is big enough to force SEPTA to detour Routes 9,12, 21 and 42 buses around the problem.
The transit agency wants to avoid another scene like the one in North Philadelphia when a bus rolled over a sinkhole just before it collapsed.
The Philadelphia Water Department previously claimed that the sinkhole was caused by an issue with a steam pipe network owned by Vicinity Energy.
Vicinity said in a statement to FOX 29 on Tuesday that the issue was investigated and they found an actively flowing water source in the area of the hole from an unidentified source.
What they're saying:
James Bell and Sabrina Small were out for an evening walk on Walnut Street.
Bell has seen so many Philadelphia sinkholes he showed us his smartphone photo gallery filled with them. A phenomenon for this New Yorker.
"We just started taking pictures of the sinkholes. We saw so many of them we thought we would create a visual collection. And we just added that one...It’s infrastructure and the idea that the floor might just open wide and suck your life into it" he said.
"Everyone has a sinkhole story. They are all over the city. It is really hard to navigate," added Bell.
"You always have to keep your eye out for them," said Alan Beletz of Center City.
Beltez who was recently forced to use a scooter for medical issues, lives just across the street from the Walnut Street sinkhole. He says scenes like these are unfortunately a way of life in the city.
"It's terrible. I mean you always have to look ahead, always look ahead. If you don’t you are going to get hurt. but it’s a big city and you have to be aware of it," he added.
What's next:
SEPTA says buses will go back on to Walnut Street once repairs are made.
In the meantime, buses are being diverted off of Walnut between 4th and 11th streets.