‘This is a really popular spot for people to walk’: 20-foot sinkhole impacts Whitefish Bay park

By Stephanie Rodriguez

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    WHITEFISH BAY, Wisconsin (WDJT) — A burst stormwater pipe caused a sinkhole in Whitefish Bay.

Over the weekend, reports of a sinkhole in between Big Bay Park and Buckley Park were given to the Whitefish Bay police department. Officials say an eroded stormwater pipe caused the 20-foot-deep sinkhole in the area.

“There was erosion that occurred where there is a joint in our utility with that main infrastructure that collapsed and failed,” Whitefish Bay Dept. of Public Works Director Matthew Collins said.

No one was hurt, but people who frequent the area were shocked by the hole.

DPW has put up fencing around the sinkhole because they are unsure how much of the area surrounding it has also been impacted.

“Some of this area was compromised with the soils,” Collins said. “That people just know to stay away from the area and respect that this is an active construction site to restore the area.”

Collins said there is still no timeline on when the area might be reopened because the pipe failure happened 70 feet below the surface, making its replacement more complicated and time-consuming.

“This is a really popular spot for people to walk, and walk their dogs and just take a nice stroll, so it’s important to get it back in shape,” Fredrickson said.

“It was a complete surprise. I mean my wife and I came out to walk our mile and noticed it there, and I said, ‘I got to go back and see what that is’,” Whitefish Bay resident Richard Eyer said.

“I’m hoping that I’m standing in a safe spot right now that it doesn’t open up and eat me,” Shorewood resident Jessica Fredrickson said.

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