Sinkhole reported on U.S. 17 Bypass near Glenn’s Bay, Holmestown Road

Officials spent most of Thursday directing traffic and trying to patch a sinkhole that formed on U.S. 17 Bypass near the Glenns Bay/Holmestown Road intersection, according to Lisa Bourcier, Horry County spokeswoman.

The sinkhole was located on the outside southbound lane of U.S. 17 Bypass, just north of the Glenn’s Bay/Holmestown Road intersection, according to Bourcier.

South Carolina Department of Transportation officials blocked a portion of the lane to investigate the cause and make repairs, she said.

The sink hole was caused by “water seeping out of an abandoned main sewer line.”

SCDOT worked with Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority to temporarily fix and patch the road in order to get traffic open by Thursday evening, Bourcier said. It was first reported before lunchtime.

A permanent repair will be done in a couple of weeks when traffic is rerouted to temporary exit ramps for the Glenn’s Bay Interchange project, Bourcier said.

Horry County police were on the scene directing traffic.

Though the sinkhole opened up near a major construction project at U.S. 17 Bypass and Glenn’s Bay and Holmestown roads, Bourcier said it shouldn’t impact the project.

The Glenns Bay widening and interchange construction is a three-year project with an estimated cost between $75 million and $80 million and is funded by the penny sales tax that expired in 2015.

Construction has snarled traffic along the bypass, frustrating drivers and stalling motorists along Holmestown and Glenns Bay roads as well. Final relief is expected by the winter of 2017 when construction is supposed to be complete.

This story was originally published August 11, 2016 at 12:55 PM with the headline "Sinkhole reported on U.S. 17 Bypass near Glenn’s Bay, Holmestown Road."