E. Rochester sinkhole growing

A sinkhole that has continued to grow after swallowing a Beaver County restaurant does not immediately threaten traffic on nearby Route 65, according to PennDOT.

There are concerns, however, that a significant storm could flood or damage the affected stretch of road in East Rochester, PennDOT spokesman Jim Struzzi said Monday.

A collapsed drainage system has caused a culvert under the road to become clogged, said Wes Hill, director of emergency services for Beaver County.

The problems began with the May 2006 collapse of a manhole in the parking lot of the former Evergreen Restaurant, said eatery owner Aris Apostolis. The sinkhole continued to grow, forcing his business of about 15 years to close in August 2007. The building was razed in January.

The culvert cannot be cleaned out until the sinkhole is addressed, Struzzi said.

"We don't feel there's an immediate threat or danger to the roadway," he said. "Should we have a torrent of rain or any type of flooding, we would be concerned the drainage system is not functioning as it was designed."

Between 20,000 and 25,000 vehicles travel on that part of Route 65 each day, Struzzi said.

East Rochester and Beaver County have declared emergencies because of the sinkhole. The bottom of the hole cannot be seen from a fence surrounding it, but it is believed to be about 65 feet deep, said borough engineer Jeff Frye. Water could be heard running through the chasm yesterday.

The sinkhole is being monitored daily, Hill said. Frye said its growth has stabilized.

"We're just lucky there hasn't been a large amount of rain this spring," Hill said. "I'm sure the longer it takes, it's not good."

Hill said local officials have been working to find money to fix the culvert. How much it will cost won't be known until workers can get in and examine it, and that, too, will cost money that is not yet available.

East Rochester Mayor James Cable and Council President John Drumm Jr. could not be reached for comment.

The sinkhole sits between a Pizza Hut and a Giant Eagle GetGo gas station. GetGo employees have been told what to do should the hole suddenly expand, said store clerk Maxine Mine.

"It's not getting any better at all," said clerk Latisha Smith. "It's big. It's really bad. It's something they need to fix, and they're not going to because they don't have the money for it.

"It'll affect Pizza Hut before here if it gets any bigger," she said.

"We continue to monitor the situation on a daily basis, and have an emergency plan in place for store-level team members should things change," said Giant Eagle spokesman Dick Roberts. "There is a concern that the sinkhole will worsen and potentially reach the GetGo if the problem is not addressed soon."

A representative of Pizza Hut could not be reached for comment.

The Evergreen was a nice restaurant with good food, but it's new location in Chippewa is too far away, said Richelle Parrish of Monaca as she pumped gas at GetGo.

"I thought it was weird that they let it go for so long," she said. "I don't know what they're going to do about it."

Apostolis is still angry about what happened in East Rochester, and has a lawyer, but says he's happy with his new location.

"So far, so good," he said. "I appreciate the people that support me. They followed me. They gave me good support."