Sinkhole keeps LaGuardia Airport runway closed

A sinkhole near LaGuardia Airport Runway 4/22 was discovered during routine inspections around 11 a.m., leading to the runway being shut down. Emergency construction and engineering crews responded to begin repairs, and the runway had previously been closed for several days after a fatal March 22 collision involving an Air Canada Express jet and a fire truck. The Port Authority did not identify the cause of the runway collapse and provided no reopening update by evening, stating repairs would be completed as quickly and safely as possible. Stormy weather beginning Wednesday evening contributed to widespread disruption, with LaGuardia reporting hundreds of delays and cancellations. Travelers were advised to check with airlines for current flight status. A separate sinkhole on the Long Island Expressway the prior week partially swallowed a car and was linked to a contractor working on a municipal sewage project.

"Officials with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which controls the airport, had been conducting routine inspections Wednesday when they discovered the sinkhole about 11 a.m. near Runway 4/22, according to a statement from the agency emailed to Newsday. The runway was shut down and emergency construction and engineering crews responded to start repairs. That same runway was shuttered for several days after the fatal March 22 collision between an Air Canada Express jet and a fire truck."

"The Port Authority did not identify what led the patch of runway to collapse. The agency did not provide updates on reopening the runway Wednesday evening but said repairs would be completed "as quickly and safely as possible." News media images of crews Wednesday showed one worker standing in the waist-high sinkhole, which appeared to have room for several others."

"Airlines and travelers were advised to expect delays and flight cancellations, especially with stormy weather, which began Wednesday evening. LaGuardia was reporting 321 delays and 250 cancellations as of 7:30 p.m. according to the flight tracking site Flight Aware. "Travelers ... are strongly encouraged to check directly with their airlines for the latest flight status information," the Port Authority said."

"The sinkhole was the second in less than a week to snarl travel plans in the area. Last Thursday, during the morning commute, one partially swallowed a car on the Long Island Expressway just east of the westbound ramp for Exit 49 North, closing a pair of lanes for several hours. The driver of the Honda sedan was transported to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries and later released."

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