Route 202 in King of Prussia reopens after hot weather caused delays
The southbound travel lanes officially reopened at approximately 8:20 p.m.
KING OF PRUSSIA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Route 202 in King of Prussia reopened on Wednesday night after part of the roadway was shut down Monday due to a water main break.
The road had to be torn up to fix the water main, but repairs are now complete and the road is repaved, officials say.
Officials stated on Wednesday that there would be delays in the road's reopening as the blacktop was too hot.
The southbound travel lanes officially reopened at approximately 8:20 p.m.
Something that complicated matters for commuters was that a tree fell on Route 23 between the Valley Forge Towers and Mencil Mill Road, affecting drivers trying to avoid the Route 202 closure.
The problems first started on Monday when workers at the nearby Sam Ash store contacted Pennsylvania American Water about low water pressure.
"They realized there must have been a leak somewhere. When they finally got through the concrete on Dekalb that's where they saw the cavity and how much of it was missing," said PennDOT spokesperson Brad Rudolph.
Workers had to tear up the roadway so the water main could be fixed.
Water was shut off in the area, forcing nearby businesses to close. By Tuesday afternoon, the pipe had been repaired, water was turned on, and PennDOT was backfilling the sinkhole.
"We're going to put asphalt in, which is a temporary fix, so we can get traffic back open," Rudolph said. "And then we'll come back, take a lane here or there, take out the asphalt, and put the concrete back in."
Traffic was being detoured onto Saulin Boulevard and South Henderson Road.
Upper Merion Township leaders say they see about three sinkholes in King of Prussia each year because the southern side of the township was built on limestone.
This last drenching rain may be to blame for this situation.
"You might have an area where it's leaching into the ground, maybe even 20 yards away from where that sinkhole will form, but that leaching wears out the limestone underneath, causes the void, and then you get the collapse on top, causing the sinkhole," said Upper Merion Twp. Public Works Superintendent Todd Lachenmayer.
In June, a sinkhole opened up about a mile away. Crooked Lane was closed in both directions for a week while PennDOT crews worked on repairs.
Both PennDOT and Upper Merion Township officials say there isn't a proactive approach to preventing these sinkholes. All they can do is respond once it happens.
