MAITLAND, Fla. – A large sinkhole has forced the closure of a section of Wymore Road south of Brightwater Circle in Maitland, according to the Maitland Police Department.
Police said the collapse was spotted around 12:30 a.m. Friday, and the hole has continued to grow deeper since it was first discovered.
Darrell Moody, a spokesperson for the Orange County Public Works Department tells News 6 an immediate evaluation conducted by a geotechnical consultant revealed the sinkhole is expanding. At first, they measured it around 20 feet wide, but measurements taken later in the afternoon showed it grew to around 40 feet -- roughly double the size.
“Because of that, we can’t really begin to assess any further or really even look at the repairs until the sinkhole has been stabilized,” Moody explained.
The sinkhole formed underneath both lanes of Wymore road, which sits just east of Interstate 4 and north of Maitland Boulevard.
Officials are working together to manage the closure and coordinate repairs.
A detour is in place for drivers navigating around the closure. Officials are directing drivers to use Maitland Boulevard to the south, Oranole Road to the north, Maitland Avenue to the east, and Lake Destiny Road to the west.
The sinkhole is located in an area surrounded by office buildings and a residential neighborhood, significantly affecting commuters and nearby residents.
Demetria Houser told News 6 that she was one of the last cars to drive through the area overnight, and she drove right into the sinkhole shortly after it opened.
“I was scared. I called my daughter crying on the phone saying, ‘I hit somebody,’ but when I tried to get my car home my whole car is messed up in the front,” said Houser.
Houser said her car dropped down and she hit the gas to get out. Her and other drivers didn’t see the depression in the dark.
“I was coming from that way, coming down, all of the sudden my car dropped down and I was just hitting the gas to come back up,” she said.
Drivers are asked to avoid the area entirely until further notice. Police said no structures have been impacted by the sinkhole.
Investigators have not yet determined what caused the sinkhole. Officials say there was no severe weather leading up to the incident, and no broken water line has been identified as a contributing factor.
Note: This map depicts the general area of the sinkhole and not necessarily an exact location.