On August 26, a sinkhole — also known as a void — opened up in the 5300 block of SW Admiral Way.
Neighbors in the immediate vicinity reported that at 1 p.m. there was no void but by late afternoon, a significant hole in the pavement had rapidly opened up.
Our SDOT Response Team (SRT) quickly secured the area, placing cones and diverting traffic while a temporary cold patch mix was applied, and then a temporary steel plate was installed, allowing the travel lanes to be reopened in their existing location — without having to merge the motor vehicles with the bicycles — to ensure the safety of the road.
Following these initial temporary repairs of SW Admiral Way, we collaborated with Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) to try to diagnose the cause of the sinkhole. SPU ran a CCTV camera through the sewer pipe but did not find any structural issues with the pipe. SDOT and SPU staff coordinated efforts to make this happen relatively quickly.
After the diagnostic work was complete, SDOT crews efficiently filled the void and also restored two nearby utility cuts (within 150’ of the location of the void) at the same time. By doing this, they avoided having to coming out twice, which minimized the impact to the local community.
The cause of sinkholes can be difficult to diagnose and we will continue monitoring this area as necessary.
We’re grateful to our SDOT Response Team, Asphalt Paving, and Concrete Paving staff for their outstanding work on this project!