Large sinkhole caused by water main break closes street in Johnson County city
A water main break under Knox Street in Merriam caused a sinkhole that closed the roadway Friday.
In a social media post Friday morning, the Johnson County city of Merriam said a large sinkhole had opened up in the middle of Knox Street just north of Johnson Drive. A video showed water surging out of a line several feet down in a sinkhole. No injuries were reported.
Knox Street was closed between Johnson Drive and Hocker Drive, and the city asked people to avoid the area until further notice.
Jenna Grant, a spokesperson for the city, said WaterOne, the water utility serving Johnson County, had repaired the water main and placed barricades and a steel plate over the sinkhole.
The road will be closed to through traffic over the weekend while a plan is developed to repair the road, Grant said. It’s not yet known how long repairs will take.
The Star’s HG Biggs contributed reporting to this story.
This story was originally published June 28, 2024 at 3:17 PM.
