BURNSIDE - A mine subsidence more than 200 feet deep and approximately 20 feet wide that reportedly opened up Wednesday night near the edge of Route 125 between Burnside and the Marvin Klinger Inc. bus barn has forced PennDOT officials to close the highway between Bear Valley Road and Upper Road (Route 2044) in East Cameron Township.
Rick Mason, public information officer for PennDOT District 3-0 in Montoursville, said the road will be closed for an extended period of time until the subsidence can be properly filled in.
He said PennDOT is working with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation to determine the next course of action.
A concrete air shaft is located in the center of the subsidence, which contains water at the bottom.
Mason, who warned motorists and curious residents to stay away from the dangerous area, said PennDOT doesn't know what caused the subsidence. It's possible recent flooding in the area may have contributed to the subsidence, which was reported to Coal Township police at 7:43 p.m. Wednesday.
PennDOT employees have erected signs and piled several huge mounds of dirt across the highway in both directions near the subsidence to prohibit motorists from entering the area.
Traffic has been be detoured via Upper Road to Trevorton, then onto Route 225 and Route 61 into Shamokin.
Mason said, "We don't know what the conditions are underground in the area of the subsidence, so we don't want anyone around there for their own safety. We don't want any tragedies resulting from the subsidence."
The public information officer said a narrow area along the berm of the highway is accessible to emergency vehicles only.