Sinkhole catches motorists by surprise on morning commute

By Lethbridge Herald on January 14, 2022.

Tow truck crews look at the damage to a Ford half-ton that fell into a sinkhole created by a burst watermain in the eastbound turning lane of 6 Ave. S. at 8 St. Thursday morning. The driver was heading to work when his front left wheel fell into the hole at 7:40 a.m. Herald photo by Al Beeber

Al Beeber
Lethbridge Herald

A ruptured watermain under 6 Ave. S. on Thursday morning opened a sinkhole that cost two commuters damage to their vehicles.

Tanner Phillips was eastbound on the thoroughfare when he pulled into the left lane to turn onto 8 St. at 7:40 a.m.

Unbeknownst to him, moments before a colleague had ruptured a tire on a sinkhole that developed in the lane.

Phillips wasn’t as lucky as his MPE Engineering colleague, and the front left wheel of his Ford pickup truck fell into a cavity created by water rushing from the broken pipe.

The eastbound lanes of 6 Ave. were quickly closed off and City of Lethbridge crews were showing up around 9 a.m. to begin the job of fixing the damage.

“I was driving to work, it was dark out, I got into the left lane to turn and just out of nowhere, hit this hole I guess,” Phillips said.

He hopped out of his truck and got onto the middle median and called police and 911, said Phillips.

The City has closed 6 Ave. S. between 7 and 8 Streets so crews can repair the waterman. One lane of westbound traffic, as of presstime, was being kept open but it could close as work progresses.

Weather permitting, the repair work is expected to be finished by Jan. 17.

Because the closure could affect Transit, users are being asked to call 311 about possible stop closures and/or scheduling adjustments.

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