El Paso County sinkhole creating more problems for neighbors

A nearly 20-foot deep sinkhole in El Paso County has split old Pueblo Road in Two. Now it’s creating more issues than neighbors thought was possible.

It’s the same sinkhole two Hanover firefighters were severely hurt after crashing their fire engine into it.

Sally Miller lives next to the closed road. She says whenever there is heavy traffic on I-25 near Pikes Peak International Raceway, drivers take old Pueblo road. But since it’s closed, it has created a lot of traffic back-ups.”Bumper to bumper,” Miller says, “trucks, campers, and everything.” It’s forcing those drivers to use her driveway to turn around. Ripping up grass and even knocking down a neighbors fence.

It also adds about 20 minutes to get around the closed road. Since people have to either fight through I-25 traffic or take Hanover road to Peyton Highway, then head west on Squirrel Creek road to get to Fountain. In total, that’s more than 30 miles.

It’s not just longer commute times that is adding a burden to residents. Miller says there are no mail deliveries or trash pick-ups for anyone south of the sinkhole. She says they were told it’s too far out of the way for drivers on their route. However, the most upsetting issue for Miller is not knowing when it will be fixed. “It’s very frustrating because we don’t have any information,” Miller says, “when you have not seen a soul up here doing anything. I’m not saying they are not working on it, but they are not working at the sight on it.”

El Paso County said they would have the hole fixed within four days of its opening, but it’s been nearly two weeks and it looks like no progress has been made.