The “Great Philly Sinkhole” Still Hasn’t Been Fixed

The “Great Philly Sinkhole” remains. And Queen Village residents aren’t happy about it. 

Honestly, it’s a little difficult to feel bad about a gaping crater in one of the wealthier parts of Philly while Ukraine’s children are being bombed to bits. But, hey, it’s all about perspective, right? 

That being said, have you seen that thing? It’s been months and the intersection still looks like a set piece from Armageddon. 

“It’s been eight months…”

Says local resident Susan Stahl like she’s about to weave a 3-hour Oscar-winning love story involving some serious flooding. 

“With the dog and things like that, just trying to walk the neighborhood. It gets complicated to maneuver because you’re going out of a whole section of an area where you live. It’s frustrating…”

Says resident Shane Shands mildly inconvenienced and sharing the same initials as neighbor Susan Stahl. 

Can you believe that it hasn’t been repaired sooner? Where’s Karen when ya need her?

“Great Philly Sinkhole” Origin Story

Local artist Lily Goodspeed of Plaque To The Future sums it up better than I could:

“Shortly after midnight on July 25th, 2021, a historic 130-year-old 30-inch water main under this intersection burst, creating a massive geyser, turning 6th street into a raging river, and making beautiful waterfalls in people’s basements. This scenic sinkhole is all that remains, and it has been delighting both residents and tourists ever since.”

That’s the long and short of it. A way-too-old-totally-should-have-been-replaced-sooner water main broke and ruined a lot of people’s nice things. 

City of Philadelphia Says: Yo, Chill Out

Given how long the residents and business owners have had to endure a f**king crater in their neighborhood, it’s not surprising that they’ve made a stink. 

The City of Philadelphia released a statement that reads:

“Given the size of the main break at 6th and Bainbridge and the necessary repairs to water infrastructure, multiple impacted utilities, and the street, the timeline for restoration of the intersection is within expected standards.

The Philadelphia Water Department informed the community and customers immediately following the main break that repairs would take many months.

When work began in October, we met with neighbors to tell them it would be approximately six months to complete from that date, with work hopefully finishing in April 2022.

It appears all the utility work and road repairs are on track to be finished by the estimated completion date.

We understand the frustration of those in the community and appreciate their patience as we coordinate with our utility partners to complete the work as quickly as possible.”

I guess Queen Village residents will have to wait until the job is finished. God forbid they have to deal with a problem right by their oh-so-nice houses.