© Thomas P. Costello / USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
(Wharton, NJ) – A new sinkhole opened up on I-80 westbound near the Route 15 overpass in Morris County while work crews were repairing an earlier sinkhole on the eastbound side of the highway.
The hole opened during drilling operations along the median, according to a New Jersey Department of Transportation spokesperson. A 15-foot by 15-foot hole opened up in the median,” the spokesperson said. “Out of an abundance of caution NJDOT closed and detoured all lanes on I-80 westbound at Exit 34B/Route 15 northbound.”
The sinkhole Wednesday (March 19, 2025) opened near exit 34 in Wharton not far away from where previous sinkholes opened up earlier in the year. The highway was already closed between exit 34 and the Route 15 overpass for emergency repairs.
Gov. Phil Murphy toured the area of I-80 where the initial sinkholes appeared and declared a state of emergency on March 8 to help open up federal funding to repair the roadway. It’s expected the Eastbound lanes will be closed for at least another two months.
