WILDWOOD, FL (352today.com) – The city of Wildwood is investigating sinkholes reported in The Villages.
The Villages Public Safety Department (VPSD) responded to a call Monday afternoon about holes in the ground reported at 5980 Scardino Street in The Villages section of Wildwood.
Community watch staff arrived and blocked off the affected section of roadway, which is in the Village of Monarch Grove. City crews investigated and determined no one to be in immediate danger. They say the property owners were not home when ‘pavement depressions’ appeared.
The city says its public works team secured the right-of-way and began leveling and backfilling the location so a geotechnical evaluation can be conducted to determine the scope and source of the issue. They say staff also inspected the city’s stormwater line under the road to ensure it’s not at risk.
“Our utmost concern is for the protection of our residents,” said Public Works Director Jeremy Hockenbury. “We need to eliminate other potential hazards while assessing the situation. Our goal is to return the roadway to normal operations as quickly as possible, while ensuring public safety every step of the way.”
Ground-penetrating radar tests were expected to begin Monday afternoon. They say test results will help engineers determine next steps and establish the best plan of action for repair.
The depressions are said to be several feet deep, according to the incident report. The City of Wildwood describes them as “pavement and ground depressions.” A report from Sumter County described them as sinkholes, which are a type of depression according to the USGS. However, the holes cannot be officially identified as sinkholes until geotechnical engineering test results are available.
The affected section of roadway remains closed to traffic.