Lido Beach sinkhole repaired after 2 weeks of snarled traffic

The final repairs on a 20-foot-deep sinkhole on Lido Boulevard that snarled traffic and forced the evacuation of a Lido Beach firehouse were completed Wednesday afternoon, a spokesman for Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said. 

“Lido Boulevard is now open in both directions,” Blakeman spokesman Chris Boyle said. 

Officials said the sinkhole, reported May 31, developed after a riser connecting a submerged manhole to a sewer pipe cracked and collapsed. The adjacent sewer pipe did not collapse and the manhole has been repaired. 

No one was injured by the sinkhole and sewer service to area properties was not interrupted, but residents and visitors have endured almost two weeks of traffic delays. Lido Boulevard is Long Beach island’s main east-west thoroughfare.

Lido Beach firefighters have been working out of a nearby firehouse while the sinkhole prevented them from returning to the evacuated firehouse. They also partnered with neighboring Long Beach Fire Department to ensure emergency services coverage for the area.