Heading to Washington County This Weekend? You’ll Want To Steer Clear Of This Massive Sinkhole!

Well here's a new fear unlocked: You're driving along, minding your own business and taking in the lovely sites of downeast Maine when the ground beneath you suddenly gives way and a giant sinkhole appears.

Sounds like it's something you'd see in a movie, or at the very least a car insurance commercial! But it actually happened in Machias this week.

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Thankfully, it sounds like no one actually drove into this thing, but it was a hole not to be messed with, as the Washington County Sheriff's Office showed us with this video!

"Please avoid the area of Route 191 and the Chases Mills Road. A significant hole has developed and would likely cause serious injuries and damage to vehicles.
The Maine Department of Transportation is on the way to fix the hole."

The post has been updated and the road is now passable...if you dare!

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True geological sinkholes are a rare occurrence in Maine, because of our geology, but sinkholes made by aging infrastructure are another thing altogether.

Those are usually thanks to things like aging infrastructure, underground sewer pipes or washouts thanks to wet weather.

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According to one BDN article a few years back, Bangor experienced no less than six sinkholes in the first half of 2023 alone.

Just another reason to keep your eyes on the road, and a lookout for road that might not be there!