Hwy 123 shut down after large sink hole opens

A portion of road has been washed out, creating a break in a Westminster water main yesterday.

Highway 123, that connects western Oconee with Georgia, is closed to all traffic, following the sink hole that opened up yesterday afternoon.

The portion of road is in the vicinity of Dixon, Tabor and Singleton roads.

Officials are urging everyone to avoid the area, if possible.

Detour signs are in place to guide traffic down Singleton/Dixon Road.

In a prepared statement released last night, Oconee Mayor Brian Ramey writes, quote, “The road collapsed and caused the 8″ water line to pull apart. This is located where the DOT (Department of Transportation) has already determined the road is caving in and a 200-300-foot section of highway will have to be excavated and rebuilt.”

Ramey continued by saying quote, “This is the Hwy 123 project we’ve been waiting for the DOT to begin for several months.”

According to the Mayor, they will be installing roughly 200 feet of pipe to bypass the collapsed area until the DOT decides what they will do with the road repair.

City Engineer Troy Rosier, met with the Oconee crews on site, to develop a plan with the quickest repair time.

Some water customers in the area are experiencing interrupted service because of the water main break; as of this report, officials have yet to release an estimated time for the water to be reconnected.

WNEG News will continue to follow this story and bring you additional details as they become available.