[custom_gallery]A section of River Road in Montgomery County, Maryland, that carries thousands of drivers each day is expected to be closed through the weekend for emergency repairs after a large hole opened in the roadway. The Maryland State Highway Administration said crews are working around the clock to repair pavement on River Road in Potomac between Longacres Preserve Court and Esworthy Road. River Road is also known as Maryland 190. Drivers traveling in the area will be detoured from to Esworthy Road, then onto Seneca Road and then back onto River Road. Residents who live nearby will be allowed onto River Road up to the point of the closure.
A large sink hole has closed River Road in Potomac between Longacres Preserve Ct and Esworthy Rd. Repairs may last through the weekend. pic.twitter.com/ULbMq6cOwa
— Megan McGrath (@MeganMcGrath4) May 31, 2019
The hole in the road is not technically a sinkhole, said Charlie Gischlar, spokesman for the highway administration. Instead, it was caused by a drain pipe that had been compromised, he said. Repairs to the road will most likely last through the weekend and into the early part of the workweek, he said. Road crews have to excavate the roadway, remove and replace the pipe and then backfill and resurface the roadway. Below is a map of the section of River Road that is closed for repairs:
