A sinkhole that has forced the closure of a road in Chatham County for three weeks is growing, and state Department of Transportation officials said it could be another two-and-a-half months before the road is fixed. According to DOT officials, old pipes underneath Lystra Road – which crosses Jordan Lake near Pittsboro – gave way on Jan. 18, at first creating a sinkhole that took up about half of one lane.
By Monday, the sinkhole had grown significantly, taking up much of the two-lane road. Officials said the scope of the work is more complicated than DOT crews can handle, meaning a contractor will be hired to complete the road rebuild. The contractor will be forced to replace two old pipes under the road. A contractor hasn’t been hired yet, and a DOT spokesman said it could be late April before the road is open. READ MORE
