Japanese Engineers Stun World by Fixing Massive Sinkhole in Just Days

The Japanese city of Fukuoka demonstrated remarkable speed and efficiency in repairing a sinkhole in 2016. The massive hole opened up in a busy section of road. Just a week after the 30-meter wide, 15-meter deep sinkhole emerged, destroying five lanes of traffic, the road was reopened to the public.

In an impressive feat of Japanese engineering, workers managed to fill in the enormous sinkhole with 6,200 cubic meters of sand and cement in just two days. They worked around the clock to complete the physical repairs swiftly. The city then spent a few additional days conducting safety checks before deeming the road ready for use.

One would think sinkholes usually should take months to repair, the Japanese workers showed outstanding diligence and coordination to reopen the critical road in just a week. Their rapid repairs also included restoring damaged sewage pipes, traffic lights, and utility poles that the sinkhole had engulfed.

The efficiency of the repair crews evoked memories of Japan’s response to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Then too, workers had wasted no time filling cracks and reconnecting broken roads to aid rescue efforts.