Sinkhole swallows section of street in SF’s Pacific Heights

A cavernous sinkhole opened up in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood Thursday evening after a large sewer line broke beneath the street, officials said.

City crews were already on scene to investigate a depression in the roadway around 5:30 p.m. Thursday when the pavement gave way and a large hole—approximately 10 feet deep by 22 feet long and 17 wide—formed on the residential street, said Charles Sheehan, a spokesman for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

To hit that goal, the Public Utilities Commission, which is overseeing the project, will have to more than double the length of water pipes it fixes annually, going from an average of 6 miles per year to 15.

Crews were hoping to have the first stage of repairs completed by Friday night, making the road usable again for cars, though Sheehan said it could take until Saturday morning.