Major Traffic Delays: Sinkhole Opens Up on Route 495 in Massachusetts

Massachusetts State Police have issued an announcement about expected traffic delay in the Methuen – Haverhill portion of major route 495 South, north of Boston.

State Troopers out of Andover and Newbury are on the scene where portions of the highway have sunk into the earth, creating a large sink hole just at the edge of the white solid line on the highway.

The incident occurred early Monday morning following a water main break in the area.

The Massachusetts State Police made the announcement on X this morning.

The sinkhole is on Route 495 South just after Exit 106, the exit for Route 125 and the Ward Hill Business District.

Delays are already packing in the area, and the evening commute, couple with the rain is expected to create chaos and extreme delays in the surrounding area.

The closure will also severely affect Route 213 (the Loop), and Route 110, Route 97, and Route 125.

If your drive home takes you near any of these areas, you should seek alternate routes.

Route 495 is already a congested highway during high traffic cycles, so this will be a major inconvenience for travelers on this Northern Massachusetts corridor, about an hour north of Boston and close to the New Hampshire border.

According to americangeosciences.com, sinkholes happen when water erodes the bedrock below the surface of roads and properties.  Massachusetts is not prone to sinkholes, like Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee, but it can happen.

Leaking pipes, as in the case of this water main break, is a common cause of sinkholes.

Check the Massachusetts State Police X feed for more.