Photos: Midtown Atlanta sinkhole grows as crews search for clues

A tiny cavity has grown into a street- and sidewalk-swallowing pit, with the help of excavators

By Michael Kahn Apr 27, 2017, 8:00am EDT

A massive pit stretching across 5th Street, with a backhoe and uprooted plants. — The mystery pit as of Wednesday evening.

With Atlanta in the throes of what seems like a major infrastructure meltdown, a tiny sinkhole in the middle of Midtown garnered little attention last week.

At the intersection of 5th and Cypress streets, behind the Biltmore, the minute cavity necessitated the closure of the intersection last Wednesday.

Since then, crews have worked on a water line in the area, digging deeper and wider as the days have gone by.

While it was assumed that the hole was created by a water leak, the city found no such evidence in their search, according to the AJC. Today, there’s no conclusive reason why the sinkhole opened up, but that hasn't stopped the city from digging to find an answer.

What seemed to be just a small issue has morphed into a major crater, removing the sidewalks and roadway just west of Cypress Street.

With exploration and repair work still in full swing, the city has no definitive date of when the street will reopen.