Reprinted with permission

Route 125 Closed Due to Mine Subsidence

By WNEP Web Staff
WNEP News 16 (WNEP.com)
Thursday, September 22nd, 2011, 7:01pm

Part of a major road in Northumberland County is shut down and drivers are being warned to stay away after a massive hole opened along the highway.

PennDOT has closed a section of Route 125 near Shamokin. A massive mine subsidence has opened very close to the road. Officials estimate it is at least 200 feet deep and has a large pit filled with water.  

Northumberland County emergency management officials were told by DEP that the hole could open even further, completely engulfing the road.

"I have never seen anything that deep this close to the roadway. I have seen them back in the bush and like that but never this close, never," said Steve Jeffrey of Northumberland County EMA. "It's a scary hole. There is a lot of traveling. This is a main artery for Gowan City and the folks who live in Burnside."

A former miner believes the hole is what is left of a shaft that was used to draw fresh air into the mines.

"It's all undermined and it was robbed out and with all this rain we had, this past rain, it just all collapsed at one time," said Mel Reed.

"It's enormous. It's endless. It goes forever.  I've never seen a hole so deep," said Troy Barcavage of Coal Township.

Although PennDOT has closed the road and set up a detour, there are plenty of drivers who ignored the signs. They drove through a small sliver of road which was kept open for emergency vehicles.

"As you can see people don't want to listen to what we put our there and it's just to protect them. We just don't want to see anyone hurt," said Jamin Hess of PennDOT. "We don't know what could happen. It could give way. It's right at the base of the guide rail and just the traffic and vibration, that's what we're concerned about."

"That's understandable and it's scary, but like I said, I don't like driving this but I am going to take a chance," said Dorothy Krebs of Burnside. "I took it this morning and everybody else did too."

It is going to take many trucks to fill the hole along Route 125. There is no word when that may start, but PennDOT said drivers can expect an extended closure.