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SHEEPSHEAD BAY: Sinkhole opens on Gravesend Neck Road, blocking Homecrest

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See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.

By Colin Mixson

Brooklyn Daily

Gravesend Neck Road got a little more down to Earth Friday afternoon, when six feet of pavement disappeared, swallowed by a large sinkhole. The destruction, attributed to a small sewer break, blocked motorists and residents from traveling up Homecrest Avenue for hours.

Samantha Guttman was leaving her apartment at the corner of Gravesend Neck Road and Homecrest Avenue at noon, when she noticed the massive rift.

“I was on my way to physical therapy, when I looked down and there it was,” said Guttman. “My son’s about 6’1”, and if he laid down in it he’d fit just fine.”

Guttman recalls seeing a bit of erosion at that spot about a year ago, although it was hardly as significant as Friday’s sinkhole.

“It caved in a little bit at the same location, the same spot, but just a little bit,” she said. “The city came over and patched it up, maybe a year or a year and half ago.”

In fact, not only has the street apparently lost some its integrity over time, but the hole kept expanding throughout the day.

“When I left it was big,” said Guttman, who returned to her home around 3 pm. “But when I got back, it was even bigger.”

For the people living on the heavily residential block of one-way Homecrest Avenue, its been a big inconvenience, especially as it grew congested during rush hour.

“It’s getting a little hectic right now,” said Debra Greif, who strolled past the sinkhole shortly after 5 pm.

The Department of Environmental Protection arrived quickly to surrounded the hole with caution tape lest any stiff-necked pedestrians take a unforeseen plunge.

Contractors are currently on site making repairs, according to a spokesman for DEP.

Reach reporter Colin Mixson at cmixson@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-4514.

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