Newly released police bodycam footage is offering the first up-close look at the chaos that unfolded moments after a massive sinkhole tore open a stretch of I-80 in Wharton, New Jersey — a collapse that has disrupted travel and choked local roads for months.
The incident, which occurred in December, forced a full shutdown of a key corridor that connects New Jersey to Pennsylvania and points beyond. The video, captured by a New Jersey State Police officer, was obtained by ABC News through a public records request and shows two stunned drivers standing just feet from the gaping hole, visibly shaken.
Since then, repairs have been slow and steady, with transportation officials projecting several more weeks of construction before the damaged section reopens. The shutdown has caused daily headaches for residents and business owners in Morris County, with detour traffic spilling into local neighborhoods, clogging downtown streets, and slamming small businesses that rely on pass-through traffic.
Experts traced the sinkhole’s origin to a long-forgotten mineshaft beneath the highway — a reminder of New Jersey’s little-known but extensive mining past. The I-80 collapse has not been an isolated event either; smaller sinkholes have since surfaced nearby, raising further concerns about the stability of surrounding infrastructure.
The affected stretch of interstate is a lifeline for both daily commuters and cross-state drivers heading between the New York City area and destinations in Pennsylvania, Upstate New York, and the Midwest. As crews work around the clock to stabilize the roadway, state officials are urging drivers to remain patient — though locals say they’re already running out of it.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.