Growing sinkhole in Nova Scotia could threaten Trans-Canada Highway
A sinkhole near the Trans-Canada Highway could potentially affect all traffic moving between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
A sinkhole in Oxford, Nova Scotia that was first noticed in August 2018 is now the size of an Olympic swimming pool.
The Town of Oxford released a report on Thursday that stated the sinkhole will likely continue expanding and other sinkholes could develop nearby.
This sinkhole forced the Oxford Lions Park to close last August when it was just the size of a dinner plate. Rachel Jones, Town of Oxford CAO, says weather may have played a role in the sinkhole’s formation.
“I think last year, because of the dryness of the summer, it may have impacted the sinkhole," explained Jones.
"The potential of [a sinkhole] happening again based on summers or extra wet summers and rushing water underground and aquifers is certainly an impact that we can consider, we can’t control.”
Before the sinkhole, it was blueberries that put Oxford on the map, and it is now considered the blueberry capital of Canada. The sinkhole is located just off the exit of the Trans-Canada Highway and the town’s mascot, Oxley, sits right across the street from the sinkhole.
“We do have concerns around the local businesses on the main street because the area of subsidence could happen closer to that street so what we’ll start to do is we’ll develop a monitoring program now that we have some benchmark data,” says Jones.
Jones explains that the Trans-Canada Highway still is a concern because it was not included in the testing program.
"LIDAR mapping shows that there are sinkholes and depressions all through that section crossing the highway from this side of Oxford to the other side going towards Springhill," says Jones.
A sinkhole near the Trans-Canada Highway could potentially affect all traffic moving between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and the town is developing a plan to closely monitor changes in this area.
The town is reportedly planning on scheduling a public meeting to inform residents about the results of the newly released report.
