Sinkhole opens up in Orchard Hills neighborhood

WINTER GARDEN Orange County's Roads and Drainage Division is working to repair a 12-foot-deep sinkhole that opened up at 5567 Cypress Hill Road in the Orchard Hills neighborhood in Winter Garden.

The sinkhole, which measured 23 feet in diameter, is located in the middle of Cypress Hill Road and was first reported on Wednesday, April 19.

Engineering consultants from Inwood Consulting Engineers' Services were called in to assess the hole to determine how best to stabilize and fill it. After examining the hole, the engineers determined that the sinkhole currently poses no danger to surrounding homes.

The hole had been filled in with dirt by the morning of Tuesday, April 25, but it is classified as an active sinkhole, meaning there is potential for further movement. However, engineers reported that any movement will likely occur as the hole is being repaired.

To repair and stabilize the hole, engineers plan to use a process known as compact grouting, which uses cement grout pumped through a tube to the depth of 34 to 70 feet. Repairs are expected to take at least one-and-one-half weeks, with the cost of repairs still to be determined.

Although access in and out of the neighborhood is open, a section of Cypress Hill Road is blocked off with detour routes marked to allow vehicles to pass around the sinkhole area.

According to county officials, this sinkhole is the first recorded sinkhole in the Orchard Hills neighborhood.

Contact Brittany Gaines at [email protected].