[VIDEO] 20-Foot Sinkhole Opens Up In Downtown Utica

A water main break is said to be behind a rather large sinkhole that opened up Friday afternoon in downtown Utica.

It happened at the intersection of Lafayette and State Streets.

Chris Carmody, a capital projected engineering tech with the Mohawk Valley Water Authority, estimated the hole at 20-feet by 20-feet on the surface of the road, and more than six-feet deep. He said when the pavement opened, the hole was initially smaller but rushing water underneath washed out the rocks and dirt causing the sink hole to grow.

Surprisingly, Carmody said crews would likely have the entire area filled and patched ahead of Friday night's Utica Comets at game The AUD, just two blocks from the scene of the sinkhole. He said the MVWA will return sometime this summer to fully repair the road.