Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
DAN DeWITTOfficials say recent storms likely are the cause of the sinkholes that developed along part of the Suncoast Parkway.
Several sinkholes have opened up near the Suncoast Parkway, one of them indefinitely closing the expressway's bike trail north of Centralia Road.
The Florida Turnpike Enterprise was notified on Monday that eight sinkholes had formed in a retention pond near Carolina Dove Road, about 11/2 miles north of Centralia, said Joanne Hurley, Turnpike spokeswoman.
The largest of the sinkholes is 60 feet long and 20 feet wide. The hole that has undermined a portion of the trail is about 30 feet by 20 feet, Hurley said. It is also 15 feet deep, meaning it represents a genuine safety hazard. As a result, she requested that cyclists honor the barricades blocking the trail.
"Even though we have it barricaded off, people are squeezing through," Hurley said. "Safety comes first and we don't want folks out there."
Because the Hernando County has closed the trail north of State Road 50, cyclists and walkers should not be near the sinkholes in the first place, said Pat Fagan, county parks and recreation director.
The entire length of the trail in Hernando was closed last week to clean up storm debris; that work has been completed south of State Road 50 and that portion of the trail is now open, Fagan said.
Debris has been mostly cleared between SR 50 and Centralia, said Roy Link, the county's parks and waterways maintenance manager.
Though two small sinkholes have been discovered near this part of the trail, they are not large enough or near enough to the trail to prevent the county from reopening it by Saturday morning, Link said.
"I got them all taped off and barricaded," Link said of the holes. "They aren't interferring with the trail."
The retention pond that is now riddled with holes was also the site of several sinkholes two years ago, Hurley said. At that time, they were filled with sand. Because the holes reappeared, they may be repaired with a concrete-like product similar to grout, which solidifies under the soil.
Representatives from Florida Turnpike and the Southwest Florida Water Management District are scheduled to meet at the sinkholes this morning. They will discuss how to repair the holes, when the trail may be re-opened, and what exactly caused the sinkholes - though it is likely the recent storms were a contributing factor.
"It is certainly not uncommon for (sinkholes) to appear after heavy rains," Hurley said.
Dan DeWitt can be reached at 352 754-6116 or dewitt@sptimes.com