A massive sinkhole will keep the busy intersection of Coxwell Avenue and Cosburn Avenue closed throughout the long weekend as crews continue repairs.
City crews were called to the scene early Thursday morning following reports of a broken watermain overnight.
By sunrise, the road had collapsed entirely, leaving a gaping hole in the middle of the intersection and prompting an emergency response.
Residents have expressed concerns about the intersection for several weeks
“It was absolutely horrifying. I was extremely disappointed,” said Evelyn Ruiz, who lives just steps from the sinkhole. She says she called 311 about water gushing up from the pavement at around 10 p.m. Wednesday night, but crews didn’t arrive until almost 4 a.m.
“We were sitting here with all of our neighbours, and we were asking ourselves the same question: why are they not putting a stop to it?” she said. “That should have been dealt with in a shorter span of time than five hours.”
In a statement, the City of Toronto said the watermain break led to street flooding, pavement damage and at least two flooded basements.
The city has been working to replace Toronto’s aging watermains as part of its capital program, but with so many needing upgrades, experts say it’s important for areas to be monitored.
“It’s worthwhile to start looking around and making sure that all the other infrastructure is still safe and is still in a state of good repair,” said Matti Siemiatycki, the Infrastructure Institute Director at the University of Toronto. “First, they have to patch up what is happening now, but at the same tim,e they need to be monitoring everything all around to make sure the ground is secure and to make sure the infrastructure underneath there is still working.”
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In response, the TTC rerouted its 87 Cosburn and 70 O’Connor buses due to the sinkhole and ongoing water main repairs. The detour now runs via Cosburn Avenue, Woodbine Avenue, O’Connor Drive, Donlands Avenue, and back to Cosburn Avenue.
Drivers and pedestrians are urged to avoid the intersection and follow posted detour signs.
The City says it anticipates the sinkhole to be filled and the intersection reopened by Monday.
The damaged intersection is near several schools, including East York Collegiate Institute, Cosburn Middle School and East York Alternative Secondary School.
“We understand how disruptive this is for those living and working in the area, and we sincerely thank everyone for their patience and understanding,” the City added.
Alessandra Carneiro contributed to this report