Officials from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) closed Interstate 80 on Monday after a sinkhole appeared on the highway. 

“Out of an abundance of caution, the highway was closed and detoured at Exit 34 in Wharton which goes to Route 15,” said NJDOT spokesperson Stephen Schapiro. 

NJDOT crews responded and will evaluate the situation to determine necessary repairs, he said. 

“It is too early to speculate on the cause of the depression.” he said. 

A sinkhole closed the highway’s right lane in Wharton for several days in late December while crews repaired the damage. Officials blamed the sinkhole on a collapsed, abandoned mine. 

New Jersey State Sen. Anthony Bucco, said he met with O’Connor on the highway Monday morning. “At that time, it seemed like the damage could be repaired quickly, and we were all hopeful that traffic disruptions would be minimal. Unfortunately, after further investigation and testing, the situation appears to be more severe than everyone anticipated,” he said. 

Drivers need to make a detour around the latest sinkhole by using Exit 28 to take U.S. Route 46 east or U.S. Route 10 east to avoid the area. 

Source: NJ.com, Fox 5, Sparta Independent