ORLANDO, Fla. — The large sinkhole in Maitland still has drivers detouring to two areas of Wymore Road as crews continue repairing the roadway.
Orange County Public Works directors hope to know more this week about when they can fill the gaping hole and then pave it again.
Wymore Road is closed at the Maitland Club subdivision, and people have been using a different entrance to turn around throughout Tuesday afternoon.
One driver said that he’s just trying to get to Interstate 4, while a contractor said that the detour has slowed him down while trying to get to work projects.
Crews are fixing the closed stretch of road that runs right next to Interstate 4.
Geotechnical engineers are working at the sinkhole that opened on North Wymore Road on May 15, swallowing the lanes in both directions.
Orange County public works officials said crews have already drilled four test borings, and they are drilling four more to ensure no new cavities are forming down in the hole.
Public Works Public Information Officer Darrell Moody explained the process.
“They’ll drill down 100 feet into the surface, basically testing all that fill material that we used to fill in the sinkhole. They’re going to drill down one hundred feet to make sure that it’s all the way through,” Moody said.
Moody added that if the test borings this week show the hole is stable, crews can begin pumping tons of grouting similar to concrete to fill the hole and seal it.
“It’s activated with water. It expands and hardens, and it’s basically used to fortify and solidify the materials we’ve filled into the sinkhole,” Moody said.
After crews seal the sinkhole, they can bring in machinery to repave the road. Moody says detours at Hope Road and Oranole Road will remain in place while the work continues. He says public works won’t know when this stretch of Wymore Road will reopen until engineers finish their work.
“We’re just going to have to sit tight and let them complete their process,” he said.
There are signs posted that say the sidewalk is also closed. Officials say pedestrians and bicyclists cannot come through the closed roadway area. They say it is unlawful and dangerous with construction equipment working in the area.
Moody explains it is still too early in the repair process to determine how much money it will cost to repair the sinkhole and get that part of Wymore Road open again.