NEWBURGH – A section of Water Street in Newburgh, also known as Marine Drive, is at the risk of imminent collapse and poses a threat to public safety, officials said Wednesday.
The city engineering department in consultation with the state Department
of Transportation has closed down that section from the intersection of
Colden/Fourth Street to the intersection of Washington Street.
City Manager Michael Ciaravino said a sinkhole 11 feet beneath the street measures about six feet wide by 15 to 17 feet long.
“The sewers in that area are made of brick; they are from the late 1800s. From what we’ve seen in the camera work, it appears to have been collapsing for quite a long time,” Ciaravino said. “There is a tremendous amount of infrastructure that has completely deteriorated in that area so with each storm that has happened for however long this has been happening, there has been a continuing scouring out of the dirt that supports the sewers in that area.”
Once the full extent of the damage has been determined, Ciaravino said he would hope city crews would be able to perform most of the work in-house. He is shooting for the project to be completed in as few as seven days.
Detour signs will divert motorists to Washington and Colden Street. Local traffic to the pizza shop will be available.
