Idaho and Washington Roads Considered High Risk For Dangerous Sinkholes

Getting swallowed up by a sinkhole is one of the most frightening realities of operating a motor vehicle. Ground collapses do kill people, and often motorists are victims.

The costs of repairing roadways after a sinkhole has occurred are astronomical, and many southern Idaho roads are in jeopardy of collapsing in the next decade due to the type of terrain that supports motorists.

Southern Idaho and Parts of Washington Are Susceptible To Sinkholes Due To Terrain

Sinkholes most commonly occur in areas that geologists refer to as karst surfaces. This is land that is made up of subterranean rocks that are susceptible to being dissolved by groundwater, according to the American Geosciences Institute (AGI).

Sinkholes prove fatal in many cases, and repairs cost an average of $300 million per year in the United States, according to Subject to Climate. Southern Idaho is considered a sinkhole hotspot, based on data from the map provided by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Florida, Oregon, Washington, Kentucky, New Mexico, and Tennessee also have a great deal of karst landscape that leaves the states very open for ground collapses, according to the USGS. High traffic areas such as highways over karst surfaces increases the risk for injuries and fatalities

READ MORE: Road Repairs Done Near South Idaho Lake

The world's biggest sinkhole, the Xiaoxhai Tiankeng in China, began forming nearly 130,000 years ago, according to the BBC. It's 660 meters deep and is a popular exploration site for tourists. Sinkholes can happen at any time, anywhere, and have been known to be deadly.