Crime & Safety
Sinkhole To Close Northbound GW Parkway For Weekend In McLean
Officials are repairing a sinkhole on the northbound parkway before the Capital Beltway.
MCLEAN, VA—A sinkhole found on the George Washington Memorial Parkway Friday will prompt repairs and a northbound closure through the weekend in the McLean area.
The sinkhole was reported Friday morning on the northbound parkway near the Dead Run trail before the Capital Beltway. Footage from the NBC4 chopper indicated the sinkhole could be several feet deep and wide.
The GW Parkway was initially closed in both directions between the Beltway and Route 123, but the southbound direction reopened late Friday morning. Northbound traffic is being rerouted to Route 123, U.S. Park Police say.
Find out what's happening in McLeanfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
There is no immediate risk to the southbound lanes, although the northbound direction could be closed for an extended time, said National Park Service spokesperson Jenny Anzelmo-Sarles via Twitter.
#BreakingNews GW Parkway south of 495 in #vatraffic is now completely CLOSED, video from #Chopper4 shows workers measuring a sinkhole appearing to be about 6-8 feet deep and three feet wide, possibly running under roadway #dctraffic @nbcwashington @wtop pic.twitter.com/uwdYQYoqvW
— Brad Freitas (@Chopper4Brad) March 22, 2019
An investigation determined the sinkhole may be caused by a broken storm water pipe deep below ground, NPS officials said. NPS is in the process of repairing the sinkhole.
Find out what's happening in McLeanfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Sinkhole below GW Parkway appears to be caused by a broken storm water pipe deep below ground. This is unrelated to the road surface or condition of the GW Parkway. Once we know how long the void is & associated risk we’ll determine extent of continued road closure. #VATraffic pic.twitter.com/mvwQhHsfh8
— Jenny A-S NPS (@NPSJennyAS) March 22, 2019
The sinkhole came after several inches of rain fell Thursday around Northern Virginia. According to the National Weather Service's preliminary rainfall map, some areas got over 2 inches.
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