Sinkhole appears on 195 West, RIDOT repairs damage ahead of early morning commute

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — A broken drainage pipe was identified as the cause of a sinkhole that appeared on route 195 West by Exit 2 in East Providence Thursday morning.

According to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT), the pipe under the road had a break at its joints where the pipe fit together.

RIDOT said this damage was likely years old, and that it gradually caused the soil above it to erode to the point that it produced the sinkhole.

RIDOT crews worked Thursday morning to repair and fill the hole in time for the early morning commute.