Car-sized sinkhole opens on Regina street

Drivers were surprised by a sinkhole in Regina, when one opened during traffic on Elphinstone Street and Avonhurst Drive Monday afternoon. 

Regina police say they were called to the area at 2:51 as there was a vehicle hung up on the large sinkhole. The vehicle was able to be towed and the driver wasn't injured, police say. 

Until it is fixed, police are asking people to avoid the area including, Sherwood Drive and Argyle Street, Elphinstone Street and Patricia Avenue, and Sherwood Drive and Garnet Street. 

The hole is around six metres deep to the water and about three metres wide.

Amber Agarand and Anthony Pacholik said it was funny and a little cool. 

"It's something new to look at, right? Agarand said. "And we came for a walk to see it. So it's good exercise."

"But we did drive through this area together a few hours ago and we drove over that spot. So it's a little unnerving to know that a 30 foot deep hole like opens there," she said. 

Agarand said when it's fixed she'll drive over it again, but Pacholik said he'll be too nervous.

Anna and Chris Giese saw about the hole on Facebook. They live nearby and decided to see it for themselves. 

"I mean, not every day you see a sinkhole, right? And one big enough to swallow a vehicle potentially is pretty interesting," Anna said. 

But the smell hit them before the saw the hole.

"As soon as we rounded the corner we could smell the sewer blowing down the street," Anna said. 

They decided to still check it out but seeing it on their normal route is different Anna said. Chris said they drive down Avonhurst multiple times a day. 

"Scary, actually, when we showed up and we actually got here I was a little shocked at how big it was," she said. 

"It makes me wonder how many other sinkholes there are that just haven't broken yet, right?" he said. "Because it's like, that could be any intersection. It could be anybody. Could happen to us."

Anna said they're lucky nothing happened to them and that nobody else was injured. 

"Might be a little scarier to hear someone is down there," she said. "We're talking to the police officer, [he said] there's nothing to hang on to. It's just a flow of sewage — I'd be very scary to be down there."

Anna said they heard it's going to take some time to fix because they'll need to tear up the intersection. 

"One of my concerns is we already live on a busy street. This is a super busy intersection," she said. "It's just going to add more traffic."

Part of the new traffic may be people coming to see it, she said. 

"I think it will be an attraction for Regina for a while there," she said. "You're going to have people walking up here daily."