Crews to address Boundary Street sinkhole, wary of Water Festival

A Boundary Street sinkhole is expected to be addressed next week, with an eye on Beaufort Water Festival traffic.

The sinkhole formed Thursday in the southbound lane near Marsh Road. Traffic was shut off in that direction from Robert Smalls Parkway to Ribaut Road for about 90 minutes while Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority officials and the Boundary Street project contractor inspected the road.

The hole was patched with metal sheets and is now open to traffic.

A S.C. Department of Transportation crew is expected to assess the necessary work next week, a city news release said. Work is expected to include replacing about 40 feet of pipe, installing a new sidewalk, curb, gutter and new manhole cover.

A specific start day and length of the project hasn’t been decided, city spokesman John Williams said.

Traffic will have to be redirected during the work.

Working at night would avoid heavier daytime traffic but could also conflict with the nightly entertainment planned for the Water Festival, the release said.

This story was originally published July 15, 2016 at 4:25 PM with the headline "Crews to address Boundary Street sinkhole, wary of Water Festival."