Over the weekend, a gigantic sinkhole opened up randomly in the middle of a central and major Israeli highway.
Indeed, according to a report from The Jerusalem Post, the central city of Tel Aviv in Israel experienced a somewhat large sinkhole on Saturday and in quite a busy street, as well, although somehow, no one was hurt.
Two days ago #sinkhole opened in one of Israel's busiest exit on #AyalonHighway.
— Intel Ignite (@IntelIgnite) September 19, 2022
To secure the rest of the highway our Batch 5 TLV alumni @ExodigoAI created an accurate map of Ayalon Highway subsurface and reported of any suspicious area to be treated accordingly. pic.twitter.com/0Tq3umXFOO
Drivers have been alerted and advised not to go anywhere in the area in their private vehicles, while the roads southwards from the Hashalom Interchange have been opened, save for the one that comes from the north.
Meanwhile, drivers who head towards Hashalom Interchange in Tal Aviv last Saturday were shocked to find that a somewhat large sinkhole had opened up in the middle of Highway 20, more typically known as the Ayalon Highway.
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Construction workers stand near a sinkhole along a street.
Giant Sinkhole in the Middle of a Busy Highway
Despite the region being quite populated, specifically with drivers who head to and from family meals for the weekend, no one got hurt.
Luckily, Fire and Rescue Services reported right away after the sinkhole opened up that no one got hurt and that no human or vehicles had fallen in.
Footage from the scene exhibited a somewhat large gap between the pavement ends at the sinkhole's edge and where the ground starts underneath it.
The exit ramp heading for Hashalom Interchange from the north was closed, consequently, and while traffic on some portions of the highway was closed overnight, the road reopened early morning of Sunday. The exit ramp will stay closed, nonetheless, until further notice.
Not the First Occurrence, Definitely Not the Last
While Israel Railways closed rail traffic in the site while safety checks were carried out close to the sinkhole, rail traffic resumed operations early morning of Sunday.
The IDF announced on the evening of Saturday that the times that soldiers would be necessitated to arrive on base the following day would be set by every commander, the transportation situation in their area specified.
In addition, only essential soldiers will have to arrive at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, the Glilot base north of Tel Aviv, and the military camps in the Gush Dan region Sunday, a similar Times of Israel report said.
Meirav Michaeli, Transportation Minister, called on commuters not to go to Tel Aviv in private vehicles. The occurrence was not the first, but regrettably not the last.
Occurrence and Danger of Sinkholes
While sinkholes don't frequently occur, one cannot ignore the fact that they are possible. Essentially, sinkholes are incredibly hazardous, potentially leading to a lot of fatalities and injuries through the years.
They can open at any time, catch people off guard, and can be challenging to forecast. That is the reason it is essential to be aware of what's causing sinkholes and what's making them quite potent.
A Concrete Visions report said heavy rains could take a toll on the ground, making it shifty and weak. For ground composed of soft sands, the water building up in the ground can quickly rid the ground of its sandy foundation.
Related information about how sinkholes form is shown on Practical Engineering's YouTube video below:
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