Sinkholes — one of them several feet wide — pose a hazard along a segment of The Loop recreational trail near Interstate 10 north of Orange Grove Road, Pima County officials warn.
The fissures, apparently caused by recent heavy rains, have been marked with barricades and are to be repaired next week.
Neither the two larger sinkholes nor some smaller nearby cracks are directly on the trail surface, but they are near enough to the path to potentially cause danger, officials said.
“Be aware that the barricades are there to guide you away from harm,” said John Warner, deputy director of the county’s Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department. The county oversees The Loop trail system.
“Construction crews and equipment will be in the area next week beginning Monday, actively correcting the situation,” Warner said. The work is expected to be complete within the week, he said.
Is there a known reason why sinkholes are forming in the area?
“The issue is subsidence caused by exposure to ponding of storm water runoff,” Warner said. “The area between the southbound I-10 service road and The Loop path is a low spot that is retaining storm water and not allowing it to drain.”
