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Sinkhole Forms On Md. Commuter Route, Closing Road

BLADENSBURG, Md. (AP) -- A sinkhole caused by a water main break has closed westbound lanes of Route 450 in Bladensburg, and the commute route will remain closed through the morning.

Police say the sinkhole that formed overnight on Annapolis Road is about 8 feet wide and 10 inches deep. Repairs are expected to start Wednesday morning. It's not clear how long the road will be closed.

Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission spokesman I.J. Hudson says the sinkhole is the result of a 12-inch water main break on Feb. 16. He says a patch was made to the broken main, and a contractor was supposed to come out the next day to repair the pipe. That apparently didn't happen. Hudson says the patch failed overnight, and the road started to sink about 12:30 a.m.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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