KINSTON, NC (WITN) – Recent rains have caused severe damage to some roads in Eastern Carolina, but one road in Kinston still has a long way to go before it is repaired.
Kinston Police said a large sinkhole formed on Dunn Family Road Saturday night. The North Carolina Department of Transportation said heavy rains last week caused the cross main under Dunn Family Road to fail, creating the sinkhole.
Allen and Rhonda Peyton live on the same street as the sinkhole, but didn’t see the flooded street until they walked by Saturday night. They told WITN over the weekend that they were surprised to see the sinkhole in the morning.
“We didn’t really know what to think because I didn’t see it coming,” Allen said. “When we got back, the water had quickly risen above the road.”
Dunn Family Road is a state-maintained road. Kinston Public Services and NCDOT were on site Sunday to assess the damage. According to NCDOT, bridge maintenance crews will replace the crossline and repair the roadway.
“It almost looked like there was debris on the road until you got closer and then it was like a shock,” Rhonda said. “I don’t know when they closed the road, but if a car had driven through there at night and hadn’t seen it, it would have been really catastrophic.”
Today, NCDOT crews are moving equipment and materials to the road construction site, but are also waiting on the sites of several utility companies. The Department of Transportation expects the road to be closed for two weeks for pipe replacement, pavement repairs and paving work.
Kinston authorities say they will continue to monitor river levels and potentially affected roads. The Neuse River in Kinston is expected to reach moderate flood stage on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
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