PennDOT Shuts Downs Part of Scranton Expressway Due to Subsidence

This morning, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) shut both directions of the Scranton Expressway down to one lane after a subsidence was discovered.

According to WNEP.com, the subsidence was found when a plow truck hit it this morning. The hole is in the passing lane of the North Scranton Expressway . It is about 4 feet wide and goes down several feet, according to the article.

Officials are calling the hole a subsidence although they have not confirmed if it was caused by a mine. The hole has been filled in before but the fill has washed away. A subsidence was discovered in the same area of the expressway in 2007.

Mining experts are expected to meet with PennDOT to come up with a fix for the hole.

According to the website for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, mine subsidence is a movement of the ground surface that can result from underground mine workings. Subsidence usually appear as sinkholes or troughs in the ground.

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