Atlanta needs outside contractor to fix sinkhole that's shut down road

We have been challenging authorities to tell us when the road will be repaired.

The sink hole is 14 feet deep and growing, creating problems for drivers and raising safety concerns for the neighborhood, and the city says it's not even sure when the problem will be fixed.

It's causing frustration among drivers like Jeanine Taylor. She took the road as a detour to avoid Howell Mill Road. When she was turned around by the barricades, her transmission blew, leaving her with nowhere to go.

"Now I'm stuck on a neighbor's very steep driveway, waiting for AAA to pull me out," says Taylor.

CBS46 has discovered that the hole first appeared Sunday and was caused by an old metal pipe leaking under the roadway. I asked the city of Atlanta when the problem will be fixed. They told me they can't do the work themselves and need an outside contractor to repair the hole. I found out that they're still trying to secure emergency funds for the repairs and don't have a timeline on when it will be fixed.

With school starting in less than 12 days, parents are concerned.

I challenged the city on what it's doing to keep other roads and homes nearby safe. They told me they've placed barricades along the street, prohibiting traffic, and have setup detours.

That's not enough for drivers like Taylor, who are worried for community safety.

"Kids walk to school, and we car pool, and buses come through here. So they're going to have to do something fast," says Taylor.

I asked the city if it will do anything to replace other aged pipes so that this problem doesn't happen again. I'm still waiting for an answer.

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