On Friday, June 14, at approximately 4 p.m., a sinkhole was discovered along the Hudson River waterfront walkway near Sybil’s Cave. City engineers responded immediately, and with the help of the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and Hoboken Police secured the affected area located at a parking spot on Sinatra Drive.
On Saturday, June 15, third-party marine engineers and divers began an inspection of the bulkhead and found additional areas of soil displacement that will require further investigation.
While the sinkhole was patched last week, the area will remain closed until engineering designs for permanent repairs are completed.
Out of an abundance of caution, the engineers have also conducted preliminary inspections of the bulkhead from First to 15th street. Based on these inspections, and the potential for over 100,000 people to come to the waterfront for Fourth of July fireworks, the City will be closing additional waterfront areas as a precautionary measure. The affected areas include:
- The Sinatra Park boat launch and ramp.
- The eastern lane of Sinatra Drive and the waterfront walkway from Seventh Street at the gazebo to Ninth Street at Castle Point Skate Park.
- Additional areas of the waterfront walkway may be temporarily closed for additional inspection, as needed. Please be mindful of barricaded areas.
In the coming weeks, marine engineers will continue with more in-depth inspections of the waterfront, utilizing dive teams and ground-penetrating radar. Once investigations have been completed, a determination will be made as to when affected areas will be reopened to the public.
For updates on the progress of repairs and any changes to the closure areas, please visit the City's construction website: www.hobokennj.gov/construction.
Additional Fourth of July information will be released this week including viewing areas and potential road closures and traffic impacts.
