LaGuardia Airport runway still shut down after sinkhole spotted
A runway at LaGuardia Airport is still shut down Thursday after officials spotted a sinkhole.
The sinkhole was spotted during daily morning inspection when Port Authority of New York and New Jersey crews noticed the hole on the taxiway right on the edge of Runway 4/22 at around 11 a.m. Wednesday.
Port Authority officials originally said they were aiming to complete work and reopen the runway around noon. But then they pushed the timing back until Friday.
"LaGuardia's Runway 4/22 remains closed as emergency construction and engineering crews complete necessary repairs and proactive inspections of the airfield as quickly and safely as possible.
Here's what we know
Chopper 2 was over the scene Wednesday as Port Authority workers and heavy machinery, including an excavator and a dump truck, converged on the sinkhole.
Unlike nearby John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, which have numerous runways they can fall back on in the case of a problem such as this, LaGuardia has just two runways to handle all takeoffs and landings. Because 4/22 is expected to be shut down for an undetermined amount of time, all air traffic now has to land and take off at Runway 13/31. That is expected to lead to extensive cancellations and delays.
Compounding the problem is the start of Memorial Day weekend travel and the chance for storms later Thursday.
Travelers are urged to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
Sinkholes unusual, but not unprecedented
Port Authority sources say investigators are looking at many possibilities that may have caused this hole to open up, including a fuel line tunneling project.
CBS News senior transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave said sinkholes like the one at LaGuardia are fairly uncommon.
"Potholes on runways and the taxiways at an airport are fairly unusual, but like any roadway, something can undermine that surface and cause it to collapse," Van Cleave said. "Earlier this year, the Baltimore airport had to close its runway because of what were described as potholes there. That was a fairly quick fix."
He said that while what happened Wednesday may cause a headache for travelers, it highlights that regular inspections are working.
