Huge Sinkhole In Midwest City Swallows One Lane Of Highway 62

The huge hole was caused by Friday's flooding. It's 200 feet long, 60 feet wide and 15 feet deep, and has taken one lane of State Highway 62.

Wednesday, June 5th 2013, 5:53 pm



All the rain has caused some big problems on the roads. The biggest may be a huge erosion hole at N.E. 23rd Street and Air Depot.

The huge hole was caused by Friday's flooding. It's currently 200 feet long, 60 feet wide and 15 feet deep, and has taken one lane of State Highway 62, a major thoroughfare. ODOT officials are worried more rain could mean they would lose more of the highway.

But if the weather cooperates the money is there. At a meeting on Tuesday, ODOT officials issued an emergency declaration. Best case scenario it will take five to six weeks to repair the hole and the highway.

The Midwest City Emergency Manager says they first noticed the erosion Saturday morning.

"I thought that's pretty bad, it really is," said Mike Bower, Emergency Management Director for the City of Midwest City. "A lot of damage, it's going to be long term damage to repair this."

ODOT estimates it will cost about $575,000 to fix the hole. However, workers from FEMA were at the site Wednesday documenting the damage to see if it qualifies for federal assistance.

Still ODOT is asking everyone who can to avoid the area and take I-40 instead.

Other roads closed because of the weather:

- SH-80 in Cherokee Co., five miles south of Hulbert

- US-270 in LeFlore Co., east of Wister is also closed.

Also: SH-48 approximately 1.5 miles south of I-40 - lanes are open but water is on roadway;

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