Land Stewardship

Sinkhole Restoration Along Loyalhanna Creek

In winter 2023, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy was made aware of a large opening, a sinkhole, on its property at the intersection of Route 30 East and Fred Rogers Drive in Unity Township, Westmoreland County. This sinkhole, which is 60 feet long, 30 feet wide and 20 feet deep, is a public safety hazard to pedestrians and motorists given its proximity to homes, roadways and a school.

The Conservancy, along with Unity Township, immediately blocked off the area and marked the sinkhole with orange fencing, safety cones, and posted notices to protect and inform the public. With the help of engineering firm HRG, in partnership with PennDOT District 12 and Unity Township, the Conservancy has worked diligently and collaboratively to determine the best approach to address this sinkhole, which was caused by a collapsed culvert carrying a stream under Route 30 and Fred Rogers Drive. The stream is an unnamed tributary to Loyalhanna Creek.

Please contact us if you have any questions about this important restoration project.

Work to Stabilize the Sinkhole Begins in mid-April 2025 (Phase 1)

To close the sinkhole, and protect the public and the stream, the Conservancy is undertaking a restoration project that will occur in two phases. In order to repair the culvert, construction crews must first stabilize the sides of the sinkhole to prevent additional deterioration and collapse. This phase should take a month, starting in mid-April 2025.

Work to Close the Sinkhole Begins in May 2025 (Phase 2)

During the second phase, which is expected to last for two months, construction crews will need to divert the stream, install a connecting culvert, install vertical access to the surface, and fill the hole with a stone and soil mix.

Together, these efforts will help prevent a similar collapse in the future. This sinkhole was caused by a collapsed culvert, not an abandoned mine. Culverts are tunnel-like structures, usually made from concrete, that allow water to flow underneath a roadway. They can also be used to carry stormwater drainage, store materials or protect cables under roads, trails or highways. It is unknown exactly when the stream was buried but it is estimated to have occurred around the time the current Route 30 was constructed in the early 1930s.

After this work concludes, a future vegetation restoration project to plant native trees, grasses and/or perennials at the site is being planned for spring 2026.

Intermittent Closures of Fred Rogers Drive: April-September 2025

To successfully perform both phases of this work, intermittent closures of Fred Rogers Drive will occur starting in mid-April 2025. The sinkhole is approximately 24 feet from Route 30 and 16-18 feet from Fred Rogers Drive. Local traffic will be permitted up to the northern terminus with Route 30. Pedestrian and vehicular traffic, including school buses, will be impacted by this closure. This work is weather-dependent.

For everyone’s safety, fencing and signage will continue to be used around this site during construction. We encourage Unity Township residents to follow the township’s Facebook page for traffic alerts or changes related to traffic patterns. Click the image to download a PDF of this road-closure map.

Project Timeline: Spring-Fall 2025

This is a tentative timeline of activities based on various factors, including weather conditions and availability of supplies and materials, and is subject to change:

    • Intermittent Closures of Fred Rogers Drive Begin: April 2025
    • Phase 1 Begins (sinkhole stabilization and inspection): April
    • Phase 1 Ends: May
    • Phase 2 Begins (stream diversion, culvert removal and replacement, closing the sinkhole): April-August
    • Phase 2 Ends: August
    • End of Intermittent Closings of Fred Rogers Drive: September
    • Construction Work Concludes: September 2025

Funding

The Conservancy was able to leverage state and private dollars, totaling approximately $720,000, to remediate the sinkhole. We are grateful for grants from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, through the Department of Community and Economic Development, the Commonwealth Financing Authority, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (administered by the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor), the McFeely-Rogers Foundation and the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds.

Project Team

HRG is a local engineering firm with extensive experience in construction restoration and restoration projects for roads and bridges. They will lead this construction effort, including managing the delivery of supplies and materials, traffic operations and the work of its subcontractors. Officials from Unity Township, PennDOT District 12 and the Conservancy will be in regular communication with HRG throughout this six-month project.

Contact Information

Local residents and the public should direct any questions about this project to Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Land Protection Manager Jane Menchyk at 724-238-2492 or jmenchyk@paconserve.org.

We encourage Unity Township residents to follow the township's Facebook page where township officials will share messages and traffic alerts related to this project. However, to report a construction emergency or unusual activity, please call 911.

For More Information:

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) enhances the region by protecting and restoring exceptional places. A private nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1932, WPC has helped establish 11 state parks, conserved more than 290,000 acres of natural lands, protected or restored more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams, and assessed thousands of wildlife species and their habitats. The Conservancy owns and operates Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and symbolizes people living in harmony with nature. In addition, WPC enriches our region’s cities and towns through 130 community gardens and other green spaces that are planted with the help of more than 7,000 volunteers. The work of the Conservancy is accomplished through the support of more than 10,000 members. For more information, visit WaterLandLife.org or Fallingwater.org.

412-288-2777
info@paconserve.org