Sinkhole has been repaired

Socorro drivers can now be confident when driving through the intersection of California Street and Otero following the sinkhole repairs, said Lloyd Martinez, the City of Socorro’s General Service Director.

Martinez said on Jan. 2 he was alerted by Socorro Police Chief Angel Garcia of the hole.

“No one was injured during the incident,” Martinez said, "The Police department saw a sinkhole, called me and blocked the road right away."

Upon investigation they discovered the sink hole was caused by a broken 10-inch cast iron water line. He said the break caused water to run underground, hollowing out the earth below, which led to the formation of the sinkhole.

"The water ate it out and it was going underground and never came on top,” Martinez said.

There is currently no evidence of the problem extending beyond the area they repaired, but long-term infrastructure updates are still needed, he said.

According to Martinez, the east side of California Street still has old cast iron from the old Gambles area down to Spring Street; the west side has been updated with PVC. He said replacing all older sections would be a major project requiring tearing up the road; and the funding isn’t currently available.