'Like a war zone': Neighbors in Kensington frustrated over sinkhole repair delays

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Neighbors in the Kensington section of Philadelphia say a massive sinkhole near the intersection of 4th and Jefferson streets has become both an eyesore and a safety concern after remaining unrepaired for more than a month.

Residents say the sinkhole formed after a water main break in April and that while crews quickly addressed the initial issue, the damaged roadway has remained closed since then.

"It's embarrassing for me to live here, but it's also embarrassing for the city of Philadelphia to have this out and just open like this for weeks and weeks," said Kyle Wall.

Wall said he took a picture of the sinkhole on the morning of April 12 and has continued dealing with the conditions outside his front door ever since.

"I called the Streets Department, they said they have some schedule where they typically don't send crews until July cause of weather issues," Wall said.

Neighbors say the sinkhole has created parking, traffic and safety problems in the area.

"I almost thought, 'Did something come up out of the street?' It's a crater, like a war zone," said Geoff Korfin of Northern Liberties.

Although the city placed barricades around the sinkhole, neighbors said caution tape, trash and caution signs have since fallen into the hole.

Councilwoman Quetcy Lozada issued a statement on Thursday about the situation:

My office takes quality-of-life and public safety concerns like this very seriously. After receiving a call about the sinkhole late yesterday afternoon, my staff immediately reached out to the Streets Department and the Water Department to request urgent follow-up.

We spoke with the Streets Department, asked that the case be expedited, and were told a crew would be sent to 4th and Jefferson today. Our constituent services representative also followed up directly with the resident last night and received a response from him this morning.

We will continue monitoring the situation until the issue is addressed and the area is made safe for neighbors.

Action News has also reached out to the Streets Department for a statement.