TRINITY, Fla. — A large hole that opened up just off Little Road in the Trinity area of New Port Richey continues to grow and could force the closure of a neighborhood sports bar.
The suspected sinkhole, which is officially being called a depression until geologists make a final determination, opened up just north of State Road 54 on the west side of Little Road at the intersection with Spring Haven Boulevard.
Pasco County’s emergency management director says the hole was originally measured at around 5-by-10 feet Monday morning when it was first discovered and has since grown to around 25 feet in diameter and nearly 55-feet deep.
“It’s actively growing,” said Pasco Emergency Management Director Andrew Fossa.
The hole opened up just feet away from the Varsity Club Sports Bar which has been allowed to remain open for now. The bar’s management has been warned they could be forced to close if the hole continues to grow in their direction.
Emergency managers are also keeping a close eye on the hole’s growth to the east, closer to Little Road.
“If it reaches the sidewalk, that’s when we’ll have to take action,” said Fossa, of the potential for lane closures on Little Road.
For now, temporary roadblocks have been set up blocking off Spring Haven Boulevard, and those who live in the Spring Haven Condominiums are being forced to cut through the Walmart Parking lot to enter and exit their complex.
Fossa says the hole’s growth seems to be slowing since this morning, but crews have detected water flowing near the bottom of the hole, meaning it could continue to grow.
“We’re not sure where that water is coming from,” said Fossa, who indicated all of the water and sewage lines in the area have been shut off.
He says the water could be from a natural source like the aquifer or draining from a nearby lake on the other side of Little Road.
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