Shared-Use Path in Ferguson Township Reopens After Closure Because of Sinkhole

A bicycle and pedestrian path in Ferguson Township reopened on Wednesday after being closed for more than two days because of a sinkhole.

The sinkhole opened up Monday morning on the Blue Course Drive shared-use path between Bristol Avenue and Birch Court and extended into the Haymarket Park stormwater basin.

A crew had the sinkhole filled by Monday afternoon and repairs were completed by late afternoon Wednesday.

According to the township, “the cause of the sinkhole was determined to be the dissolution of underlying soil over time.”

While sinkholes are not uncommon in Centre County, it was the latest of several in the past year that have caused disruptions.

Penn State’s Eisenhower Parking Deck was closed for days in August after a sinkhole opened on the road near the structure. According to the university, water from a failed underground stormwater pipe caused the sinkhole.

The west parking lot of the Centre County Sheriff’s Office closed in August because of a sinkhole. The sinkhole was narrow, but covered a wide area beneath the surface and went as deep as 18 feet in some places, according to county officials. County administrator John Franek said there was a history of sinkholes on the site and “a lot of loose debris” below ground. The Board of Commissioners approved a contract of up to $70,500 for repair work.

Residents of 18 townhomes at Georgetown Park on Amblewood Way in Patton Township were displaced for months because of a sinkhole and water main break on Christmas Day last year.