Large Sinkhole Closes Portion of Route 33 South

A large sinkhole opened early Wednesday afternoon on the shoulder of Route 33 south, just past the bridge near Route 191 in Stockertown that was replaced about seven years ago when sinkholes in the Bushkill Creek threatened the bridge's foundation.

By 2:45 p.m., Pennsylvania Department of Transportation crews were shutting down the right lane between Routes 191 and 248, snarling traffic.

Ron Young, a spokesman for PennDOT District 5-0, was in a meeting in Harrisburg when the sinkhole formed. Young said the hole looked to be about 6 feet long by 4 feet wide and about 4 feet deep.

Information had just been provided to Young when he spoke to Patch -- only seeing a photo of the hole, which opened near mile marker 8.3.

"It's mostly in the shoulder," Young said. "Workers are working to get it filled in, but the lane will be closed for some time."

PennDOT crews had their lights flashing at the Stockertown exit to make drivers aware of the upcoming bottleneck. Some motorists who had exited from Route 191 to Route 33 turned their cars around and went back up the exit the wrong way.

One PennDOT worker, who did not identify himself, said he was shocked to see people deliberately going the wrong way to avoid the traffic jam.

Young said it was too soon to know exactly when Route 33 south would be fully open again.