NORFOLK, Va. — A day after a sinkhole swallowed a car in downtown Norfolk, the driver's family is calling for action as city crews continue repairing the damaged roadway and city leaders point to the challenges of maintaining infrastructure in a city below sea level.
The sinkhole opened Tuesday near the base of the I-264 westbound Exit 10 ramp onto East City Hall Avenue, trapping a woman inside her vehicle. First responders rescued the driver, who was not seriously injured.
The driver declined an on-camera interview. News 3 also asked the Norfolk Police Department if the officer who rescued her from the submerged vehicle was available to speak, but the department declined that request.
Instead, the woman's daughter shared what her mother has been experiencing since the incident.
"My mother is shaken up and upset," she wrote in a text message to News 3. "She was just driving to go do something for her job and the road fell in. Her life flashed before her eyes. Thank God for her guardian angels she made it out alive."
She also questioned the condition of Norfolk's roads.
"My mother is a safe driver but what isn't safe is Norfolk city road. They must do something about these unsafe roads."
According to the City of Norfolk, the sinkhole was caused by a water main break. Officials said crews isolated the damaged pipe, allowing repairs to begin without interrupting water service because of redundancies in the city's water distribution system.
Norfolk City Councilman Carlos Clanton said council members were in a work session when they learned about the collapse.
"We were in council work session when we heard it happen, and there was just a lot of rain," Clanton said. "Councilwoman Johnson and Councilman Smigiel were delayed... she was flooded in."
Clanton said the sinkhole formed in an area already undergoing construction as part of the city's Blue Greenway project. He said city staff later informed council members the collapse was caused by a water main break.
The incident has renewed conversations about Norfolk's aging infrastructure and the city's ongoing resiliency efforts.
"We're working aggressively throughout the city to find and get ahead of this," Clanton said. "We know that we have sea level rise that's greater than it has ever been before, and we're a city that's below sea level, so we've got to take measures to ensure that we can protect the assets and, most importantly, protect people."
The sinkhole opened in the ward represented by Councilman John "JP" Paige.
Paige said Mayor Kenneth Alexander spent Wednesday in Washington, D.C., meeting with members of Congress and advocating for additional federal funding to support Norfolk's resiliency projects.
Paige also acknowledged there is still more work ahead.
"We're working on the things that are necessary to make the city better and safer for all citizens, and to make sure that the city lasts as long as it needs to before anything is fixed again," Paige said.
City officials said crews continue repairing the damaged water main, and City Hall Avenue is expected to reopen Friday morning.
The collapse has prompted questions from residents about the condition of Norfolk's infrastructure, but city leaders say improving roads, utilities and flood resiliency remains one of the city's top priorities.
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