Mine Hill is no stranger to craters caused by mines
Huge pothole on Interstate 80 Caused by the collapse of an abandoned mine shaft, what exactly is a mine shaft?” One town in Morris County is no stranger to these mine drops.
“Mining around the Mount Hope area began 300 years ago,” said Mayor Sam Morris, which has a population of about 4,000. “Main Hill, when I was mayor, I probably saw six or seven of them (mine holes). There was a big one behind the Canfield Avenue School at one time. We had several of them on different streets.”
Morris said the holes he saw in his city are much smaller than the ones on the highway in Wharton. the The sinkhole on I-80 extends eastward, 40 feet wide and 40 feet deepAccording to the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Morris said some of the holes in the rock he saw were about 15 to 10 feet deep.
As repairs continue on the pothole on Morris County Highway, Causing diversions and trafficMany wonder how long it will take workers to repair the damage. The Morris County sheriff of 14 years explains that the potholes in his city were dealt with within two days.
“It might take a few days to fix the hole, but then you have to build the road over that,” Morris said. He’s not sure whether a road repaired by Monday would be realistic and thinks Thursday might be a more reasonable target.
With plenty of experience dealing with “mine holes,” Morris said there are two ways to fix these land departures.
“There are two ways to repair it. One way is the caulking method,” the mayor explained. Workers handling the repairs fill the mine pit with other materials such as rocks and boulders, and then fill the pit with concrete.
“The other way to do it is called the limit method. It’s a slap of concrete and then lowered with a crane,” Morris explained.
The Mayor of Mine Hill has experience dealing with professionals who know how to deal with sinkholes caused by mine shafts. Morris said he has spoken to mining engineers in the past who taught the local government about “mining holes,” with training on how to repair and detect them.
Despite dealing with a few punctures, the city has never had injuries or vehicle crashes due to road damage, Morris said.
Morris County has dealt with a lot of sinkholes from abandoned mines, with more than 100 abandoned underground mines located throughout the region, most of which are located in the northwestern half of the county, according to Morris County 2020 Geographic Report
The 2020 Morris County Geographic Report said some surface openings from mines occur because some are “improperly filled.”
Sinkhole on Interstate 80
The pothole on I-80 in Wharton in Morris County is still being repaired and has caused delays of more than an hour, officials said. Although workers are trying to restore the road, it is still unknown whether the highway will reopen, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Drivers are forced to take… Alternative methods Away from the hole at Exit 34.
Officials confirmed the sinkhole occurred on the east side of the highway at 7:45 a.m. Thursday.
Weather may also play a factor in repairs as rain is expected starting Saturday.
Once excavated, crews will backfill the area using wire mesh, stone aggregate, concrete and other backfill materials before repaving the road, Department of Transportation spokesman Steve Shapiro told NorthJersey.com.
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