Culvert repair closes State Road 9

HOPE – A portion of State Road 9 was closed late Wednesday on a report of a “sinkhole” but the problem was actually an issue with a culvert replacement.

An Indiana Department of Transportation crew was attempting to replace a culvert along State Road 9, between County Road 300N and County Road 450N. That’s where an unexpected problem developed at about 6 p.m., Hope Town Marshal Matt Tallent said.

“Some mud and crack seal came loose in the process,” INDOT spokeswoman Natalie Garrett said. “They did close down the entire road for a while to make necessary repairs. However, there was no sinkhole.”

The highway was partially closed when the problem emerged, and many vehicles were already using a number of alternate routes, Tallent said. But it was only when the crack seal came loose that a decision was made to close the entire highway, the town marshal said.

All repairs were made and the highway was reopened by 11 p.m., Tallent said.