Massive Sinkhole Opens On Burlington Co. Road After Sewer Collapse

DELRAN, NJ — There's no timetable yet for permanent repairs after a "major" sewer-line collapse opened a massive sinkhole on a Delran roadway. But water conservation is no longer necessary, officials said Monday.

The sinkhole opened at about 5 p.m. Sunday on Leon Avenue and 5th Street — in the Cambridge section of Delran. Crews shut down the 5th Street pump station and have created a temporary bypass for water service.

The hole spans about 25 feet across and 8 to 10 feet deep, says Delran Mayor Gary Catrambone. The timeline for repairs to the sewer line and roadway remains undetermined.

"This is not a small 'put some cones around it' situation," Catrambone told Patch. "This is 'stay away.'"

Township officials originally advised the neighborhood to conserve water. But voluntary conservation was no longer necessary as of 11 a.m. Monday.

"Your assistance in conserving water has helped and the temporary water diversion is in place and operational," the township said.

The sinkhole formed in a purely residential area.

An hour or two before the roadway caved, a Delran resident reported an issue to the Sewer Department. Personnel were addressing the matter down the road when they heard the collapse.

First responders, the Sewer Department and the Department of Public Works have been operating at the scene with the township's emergency contractor.

With the temporary water diversion in place, crews will begin to access the necessary repairs. The township will then mobilize contractors to make those fixes before the roadway can get repaved.

The ensuing work and repavement will require "a much-longer timeframe" than creating the temporary water diversion, Catrambone said.

Earlier this month, rainstorms caused significant flooding around Delran — especially along the Delaware River, which Leon Avenue is near. During heavy rain and flooding, soil can expand and potentially damage sewer lines. But township officials haven't determined whether the events are connected.

"With regard to the other flooding and the cause of this, it's really tough at this point (to determine)," Catrambone said. "Our first priority was to make sure that the residents were OK, and then we asked for voluntary water conservation because we had to shut off the Fifth Street pumping station."

Leon Avenue also runs adjacent to Swedes Lake.

Cambridge was one of Delran's first neighborhoods, and the houses have been there a long time, according to Catrambone.

"I don't know the last time this pipe was serviced or if it was the original pipe," the mayor said Monday. "I really don't have any of that information yet. It's all coming too quick."

Anyone requiring emergency assistance because of this issue should call 911.