Sunset Park City Councilman Carlos Menchaca reported today that the likely cause of this morning’s mammoth sinkhole that swallowed up practically the entire intersection of 5th Avenue and 64th Street is a water main break that washed away the soil under the roadway.
“Thankfully no injuries were reported. But disruptions to normal transit, utility services, and business activities are ongoing. The water main is one of those old cast iron 48-inch pipes – a relic of our aging infrastructure,” said Menchaca.
“My office has received continuous updates from the City Council’s Emergency Services unit and we’ve been on site to survey the damage. We will continue to monitor stabilization of the site, the start of repairs, and the effects on local residents and business owners. This is a massive sink hole that nearly spans 64th street and affects several utility systems,” he added.
Menchaca said the departments of transit, environmental protection, transportation and buildings are working in concert with the NYPD, FDNY, ConEd and the New York office of Emergency Management to control both the sinkhole and its’ local effects.
This includes the closing of 64th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues, and 5th Avenue between 63rd and 65thstreets.
The MTA has re-routed the B63 bus and signs have been posted to help riders find their way. Briefly Tuesday, the nearby subway line was run at slower speeds as a precaution, but it was restored to normal speeds once it was verified doing so would be safe.
Additionally, the city’s Department of Small Business Services has initiated outreach and support for local stores and offices. The Sunset Park Business Improvement District staff is also reaching out to local business owners.
“A sink hole of this scale will require time to assess and fix. Please do expect disruptions to normal business and travel in the area until further notice. Please contact my office at 718-439-9012 with any questions about this event, or to be connected with city agencies or local resources. I will continue to monitor and report on progress,” said Menchaca.
