Cause of sinkhole on S.C. 31 discovered

The sinkhole on southbound S.C. 31 near the exit for S.C. 22 should be repaired by late Monday afternoon according to the South Carolina Department of Transportation.

The 1.5 foot by 3 foot sinkhole was caused by a collapsed utility line owned by Grand Strand Water and Sewer Authority, said Chief Engineer for Operations Andy Leaphart.

The line was installed in the last two weeks, said Leaphart, and the contractor for Grand Strand Water and Sewer Authority is conducting the repairs.

Leaphart said he didn’t know what caused the line to collapse.

The southbound lane of S.C. 31 was closed as of 11 a.m. Monday, but the northbound lane remained open.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol is directing traffic and SCDOT is investigating to make sure there are no problems under the northbound lanes.

Leaphart said that motorists should find another route or use the department’s “511” app to find information on traffic conditions.

This story was originally published September 5, 2016 at 11:47 AM with the headline "Cause of sinkhole on S.C. 31 discovered."