During a time in which a sinkhole in Florida drew national attention, another sinkhole appeared next to Route 66 west of Galena, Kan., reported KOAM-TV.
Fortunately, this hole hasn’t caused any injuries or deaths. But its sudden appearance prompted highway officials to block one lane of traffic on Route 66 until they determine whether the hole will grow.
This hole is about 10 by 12 feet across and about 14 feet deep. Officials think the sinkhole was caused by an abandoned mine shaft that caved in. Lead mines once dotted the landscape of southwestern Missouri, southeastern Kansas, and far northeastern Oklahoma.
In 2006, a sinkhole appeared behind the Green Parrot Tavern in downtown Galena. The hole compromised the 100-year-old building, and eventually was razed. A smaller sinkhole appeared that year near Route 66, but caused little damage.
A sinkhole in Seffner, Fla., suddenly opened in a bedroom of a house last week, taking a sleeping man with it. The man remains missing and is presumed dead. Officials have razed the house because the growing sinkhole has compromised the home’s structure. Unlike Galena, Florida sinkholes are thought to be a natural phenomenon.