HILLSBORO, Ill. – Illinois Route 185 remains closed after a 50-foot-wide sinkhole next to the road opened up over the weekend.
“We were notified Friday of the sinkhole situation,” Kevin Schott, director of the Emergency Management Agency in Montgomery County, said. “We are just monitoring it at this point. We are concerned there is some rain coming in tomorrow night, and not sure what that is going to do to the situation.”
DroneFOX footage showcased the massive sinkhole near the entrance to Deer Run Mine.
“This highway goes between Hillsboro and Coffeen,” Schott said. “Hillsboro is the county seat. Graham Correctional Center sits just past where this sinkhole is. (It is) a big employer of the county, so yes, this is a very traveled highway.”
It remains unclear for how long the road will be closed. A geotechnical consultant was assessing the sinkhole Monday afternoon with a drone.
“I’ve been in emergency services since 1982, and I’ve certainly never heard of a sinkhole in Illinois,” Schott said.
