Huge sinkhole along I-80 in New Jersey caused by an abandoned mine shaft

The massive 40-by-40-foot sinkhole that opened a major New Jersey highway Thursday was caused by an abandoned mine shaft, officials said.

Construction crews are working around the clock to repair the massive hole on I-80 near Exit 40 in Wharton that caused massive traffic delays the day after Christmas.

The state Department of Transportation announced Friday that the sinkhole was caused by “the collapse of an abandoned mine shaft” that tore open the earth and shut down several lanes of the busy highway.

“Emergency crews will continue to work around the clock to complete repair work and reopen the highway as quickly as possible,” NJDOT said, without specifying when the repairs would be completed.

“Due to the extensive repairs and the weather forecast for this weekend, it is too early to estimate a specific timing,” the department added.

The sinkhole appeared Thursday morning and engulfed the right shoulder and lanes of I-80, creating a gaping hole about 40 miles west of New York City.

Officials said there were no reports of injuries as a result of the sinkhole, but it caused a major traffic jam, with drivers warned to take detours over the weekend as crews worked to fill the hole.

The NJDOT did not provide further details about the collapsed mine shaft that caused the sinkhole, but it is not the first time such an incident has occurred.

In neighboring Pennsylvania, 64-year-old Elizabeth Pollard fell into a 30-foot-deep hole in the ground earlier this month while searching for her missing cat. Officials determined that the hole was caused by the collapse of an abandoned mine shaft.

The missing grandmother’s body was finally found two days later.