Delran working quick to fix sinkhole, sewer line nearing finish
DELRAN — A sinkhole opened here due to a failure late Sunday of a sewer line that carries most local sewerage to a nearby pumping station, according to the township.
On Tuesday, Mayor Gary Catrambone said an emergency sewer contractor has been working at Leon Avenue and Fifth Street around-the-clock since lthe collapse.
An emergency pumping bypass using a portable 12-inch pipe was able to relieve much of the burden on residents.
The township initially asked residents to cut back on water use, but later lifted that request.
Catrambone said the sinkhole occurred at Leon Avenue and 5th Street, an intersection closed to traffic on Tuesday afternoon.
The mayor described the sinkhole as about 25 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 15 feet deep. "So, it was a big hole," he said.
Catrambone said the repair to the sewer line, believed to be 24 inches in diameter, is done and the road is being filled in.
Temporary paving is expected to occur Wednesday, Jan. 24, if the weather allows. A final coat of asphalt will be put down in the spring.
"We hope to have the road back by the end of the day, or worse case tomorrow morning," Catrambone said.
Catrambone said sewer department workers were in the area when it happened late Sunday. A resident had reported that sewerage had backed up into her basement toilet and a crew was checking nearby manholes.
"They heard it collapse," Catrambone said. The road initially held but apparently only because of resistance from its asphalt and that soon failed, he said.
The pumping station, a block away on 5th Street, then was shut down. The station connects to the municipal treatment plant on River Drive.
Catrambone said engineers are trying to determine what caused the break in the line and the sinkhole.
Nearby lakes should not be affected by the line break, the mayor said.
The area of the break is largely residential and one of the oldest portions of Delran, he said.
The township advises anyone needing emergency assistance should call 911.
Township updates are posted online at https://www.delrantownship.org/2024/01/leon-ave-sewer-collapse.
This story will be updated.
Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey 36 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.
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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Key Delran sewer line repaired, work continues on sinkhole
