HOBOKEN – The sinkhole on Sinatra Drive North has received some attention before an expected major storm hits Hoboken. The street collapse, which occurred on Friday afternoon, was partially covered with tarp and sandbags late Thursday afternoon before the rain began to fall in the city.
According to Mayor Dawn Zimmer, the hole in road was caused by a combination of factors: the road was built on an old, wooden deck, soil erosion, a break in the bulkhead, and shipworms.
The shipworms continue to be a problem for the waterfront. They were part of the reason a portion of a walkway between Sinatra Field and the Hudson River collapsed in September 2009.
As the Hudson River becomes cleaner, the problem of the shipworms feeding on wooden docks becomes more severe, according to Zimmer.
Extra fencing has been erected around the affected area, but nearby the restaurant Lua remains open. Hudson County Sheriff’s officers remained on guard near the area to re-route pedestrians and maintain a perimeter around the collapse.
“I do appreciate the county coming in and taking responsibility to address the situation,” Zimmer said. “It’s very important for me that we solve this for the long term.”
Zimmer said the city and county will know more on Monday about the hole.
“We’re looking very closely to see what the long term solutions are,” Zimmer said. “Not just for that hole, but for the entire road.”
“I feel extremely lucky no one was injured or killed in the collapse,” Zimmer said. “I want to make sure it’s totally safe going forward.”
Rough weather ahead
The county brought in equipment on Thursday and broke up the concrete and pavement that had fallen into the hole. The material has been moved inland against the bank to stabilize the soil and protect it from tidal action, according to a city press release.
The tarps and sandbags were placed to protect the soil from erosion in anticipation of the predicted storm, according to the city.
The sinkhole speaks?
The sinkhole seems to have taken on a life of its own, and may be “channeling” messages to the people of Hoboken through a comical Twitter feed.
Someone has been posting messages on Twitter “as” the collapsed roadway. Recently, it described the new look it received from the county, and was worried its followers “will not recognize me with my new tarps and orange snow fencing.” – Ray Smith