Giant hole forms under southwest Houston sidewalk

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A sinking sidewalk on South Post Oak near South Main in southwest Houston surprised David Walters.

"You really don't see it until you get right up on it," Walters said.

He noticed it early Friday afternoon.

"I walk up and down the sidewalk all the time back and forth to the store, and it wasn't there last night. I came up to it, and I was surprised. Glad I saw it," he said.

A six-panel portion of the sidewalk broke off and collapsed. But there's more. The ground around it sank too.

"That's not just a little drop," Walters said.

ABC-13 contacted the Houston Public Works department and forwarded officials there a few pictures. A spokesman agreed that this was a public safety hazard, especially for someone walking or in a wheelchair at night.

Within a couple of hours, they sent a crew to block it off until they can get it fixed.

We're told a broken waste water line may have caused this, but it could also have been weather related from the recent rain. They're are not sure at this point. What they are sure of is that they will fix it as soon as possible.

A city official says anyone in Houston that sees something like this, especially this hazardous, should always call 311 first to report it.