JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A popular downtown road is closed for repair but that’s not keeping people from driving on it.
Barricades on N. Clay Street surround what appears to be a pesky pothole. But looks can be deceiving. According to JEA, crews discovered a sewer cave-in Wednesday morning.
"You have a sewer pipe and if there's a hole in it, over time the soil goes into the pipe and makes it give way," said Boyce.
The area is right in front of the Duval County Courthouse, so it’s typically one of the most busy roads in the downtown area.
The utility company closed Clay Street from Forsyth to Bay Street as a precaution while crews plan the fix.
But Action News caught driver, after driver, after driver dodging the detour.
In fewer than 15 minutes, reporter Ryan Smith counted not one, not two, but more than a dozen vehicles zigging around signs and zagging past the cave-in.
“Did you notice the barricade there,” Smith asked driver Amess Johnson. Johnson replied “no comment.”
Johnson didn't want to explain her reasoning at first, but when Action News told her she wasn't the only driver looking for an illegal shortcut, she spoke out.
“Looks like they worked on it and left the barricades up,” said Johnson. “If you wouldn't have mentioned it, I wouldn't have known."
The scene can become much more serious. Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused a deadly sinkhole in the Tampa Bay area.
Police here at home say drivers need to read the sign because it’s closed for a reason.
“It's up to the driver to be aware. They're taking a risk, it could be deadly. You don't know what you're driving into so everyone needs to take the precautions available."
JEA says crews will have the road repaired by Saturday.
