Lake County commissioners are set to decide Tuesday whether to pour just over $2.5 million into repairing a massive sinkhole that chewed through a stretch of Empire Church Road near Groveland. The collapse has shut the road down since early February, pushing drivers and school buses onto long detours and turning a once-quiet cut-through into a daily headache. County officials labeled the damage an emergency so they can move a complicated repair plan along faster.
As reported by ClickOrlando, commissioners are scheduled to vote today on more than $2.5 million tied to the road collapse. The emergency designation lets staff speed up procurement for stabilization work, with the vote framed as the key step to unlock funding for a full rebuild.
Engineers Call for Grout, Subsurface Stabilization
A 72-page geotechnical report obtained by Channel 9 recommends Lake County set aside roughly $2.6 million for repairs that would rely on targeted grout injections and subsurface stabilization, according to WFTV. Engineers measured the depression at about 90 feet wide, 200 feet long, and roughly 50 feet deep, and warned that the local limestone bedrock has a moderate to high potential for sinkholes.
Closed Road, Long Detours and the Next Steps
The problem first surfaced on Feb. 2, when the growing hole forced officials to close Empire Church Road between Bear Lake Road and Edgehill Drive and push traffic onto detours along Mascotte Empire Road, a reroute that has stretched local commutes, Spectrum News 13 reported. County crews have been filling visible voids, but they say the long-term fix depends on the deeper stabilization outlined in the engineering report.
If commissioners sign off on the emergency money, staff will solicit quotes from contractors, and work could begin once a contract is in place, according to ClickOrlando. Until then, drivers are stuck with detours and a front-row view of how quickly Florida’s ground can open up.
For updated closure information and reporting guidance, residents are urged to check official county channels and Public Works contacts. Lake County Government maintains the latest notices on road closures and emergency repair efforts.
