LAKELAND, Fla. – A massive sinkhole opened in Florida near a neighborhood and roads on Friday afternoon, according to a report by FOX 13 Tampa Bay.
A view from SkyFOX showed the sinkhole off of Scott Lake Road and Fitzgerald Road in Lakeland, Florida. The depression backs up against several homes as well as the road.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that deputies closed off those roads until further notice.
Authorities are working to inspect and repair the sinkhole, and drivers are being told to find an alternate route while the area is closed off.
Polk County fire officials are also on the scene.
The sinkhole is just outside an area considered “sinkhole alley” in Florida, which includes Hernando, Hillsborough and Pasco counties. However, sinkholes are common up and down the Interstate 4 corridor and along Interstate 75.
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According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, sinkholes form when surface sediments collapse into underground cavities in the limestone bedrock. Groundwater then slowly dissolves cavities and caves in the limestone over a period of many years until it can no longer support the weight of the sediment above.