An early morning water main break left a section of roadway unstable and vulnerable to collapse in Fallbrook, officials said.
A resident called in the water main break, which crews later determined to be a break in a 12 inch water main, around 1 a.m. Monday on South Mission Road between West Fallbrook Street and Aviation. The break is affecting the whole intersection.
Crews estimated that the break left 400,000 gallons of water still in the sinkhole, ready to bubble up.
Water department crews turned off the water but are still trying to seal the main all the way. The sinkhole that has formed in the area has four to five feet of water in it, which crews are working to drain.
The ground underneath the asphalt east of the sinkhole has washed out, crews on scene said, and 400 feet of roadway could collapse. They said they would recommend the county close the section of road to drivers for days as it will be unstable and could collapse.
The break is affecting the entire intersection in the area, where crews estimate a shopping center could be left without water as a result and potentially some residents in the area as well.
Once crews drain the water, they can begin to repair the main. Officials said they would be on the scene for most of the day working to repair the damage.
