Sinkhole causes road closure near McAlpin

Published 2:50 pm Tuesday, June 20, 2017

McALPIN — A sinkhole has forced Suwannee County officials to close a road in the southwestern part of the county.

The Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office — Division of Emergency Management announced Monday that a portion of 182nd Street southwest of McAlpin was closed between 129th Road and 137th Road because of a sinkhole.

Sheriff Sam St. John said the sinkhole was 15-feet deep and this was not the first time sinkholes have emerged in the area.

Randy Harris, county administrator and director of public works, agreed that sinkholes are, unfortunately, a routine part of business for that area.

“We get sinkholes from time to time and we just block it off until we can get in there and see what we can do,” Harris said. “We deal with it. We’ve had several in the last couple of weeks.

“It’s not at all uncommon.”

Harris added that when Tropical Storm Debby came through the area in 2012, hundreds of sinkholes emerged throughout the county with quite a few in the southwestern portion.

“There’s just something about the geology down there,” he said.

But with rain in the area Monday and Tuesday and more in the forecast throughout the week, officials are in a waiting game.

“There’s nothing you can do until you can get out there and look around in it,” Harris said.