Sinkhole Forces Partial Closure of Schuylkill River Trail

A large sinkhole has formed under the Schuylkill River Trail in Center City between Race Street and JFK Boulevard, just north of the SEPTA bridge. The sinkhole's discovery prompted the closure of this portion of the trail.

A trail user who discovered the sinkhole during the week of Oct. 13 reported it. Officials from the Schuylkill River Development Corporation (SRDC) warn that repairs to the trail could take months due to the complexity of the situation. To ensure public safety, officials closed that section of the trail on Tuesday, Oct. 21.

"We don't know what's going on down there ... but I don't think this happened overnight," said SRDC President Joseph Syrnick to PhillyVoice. "We have to figure out what this is and do a design of the fix, which may be easy or hard. Until that happens, we won't have a clue about [when it will reopen] or what it will cost."

When engineers visited the site, they discovered the sinkhole was roughly 8 feet deep, 8 feet wide, and 10 feet long — most of it hidden by asphalt. It's unclear what caused the sinkhole.

Given its proximity to a sewer line, the Water Department is involved to check for potential damage to the water infrastructure. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Brian Rademaekers, the public information officer with the Water Department, said a dye-tracing investigation is taking place to determine whether a potential sewer leak caused the cave-in. 

"Once we confirm what washed out this section under the trail, we will work with SRDC to determine any next steps needed to get the trail opened," Rademaekers said. 

The SRDC advises trail users to take alternative routes while repairs take place. Maps of detour routes are posted around the trail and on the SRDC's website.