Sinkhole on I-15 creates traffic issues in Ogden area Friday morning
Image supplied, Utah Department fo Transportation
A Utah Department of Transportation camera shows southbound Interstate 15 traffic backed up into Ogden on Friday, May 16, 2025, due to a sinkhole that was discovered earlier in the morning.ROY — A sinkhole on Interstate 15 in Weber County caused major delays through a construction zone Friday morning.
According to an email from Utah Department of Transportation Senior Communications Manager Mitch Shaw, a sinkhole was discovered in the southbound lanes of I-15 to the south of the 5600 South interchange shortly before 8 a.m. Friday.
“This area of I-15 is down to three lanes due to the ongoing 5600 South Interchange project and the sinkhole required us to shut down two of the three lanes,” he said. “We saw traffic backed up to about 21st Street and approximately 30 minute delays.”
No accidents or injuries were attributed to the sinkhole, but Shaw said it would have an impact on traffic for much of the afternoon.
“Repairs are scheduled to be finished by around noon today, but the situation is pretty dynamic and timelines could shift,” he said. “There will also be residual traffic backup after all lanes are reopened. But traffic should be back to normal for the evening commute.”
Shaw said a few factors may have contributed to the sinkhole in this area.
“There is a nearby pipe that was bored underneath the road about a year ago and some of the road base near the pipe had washed away,” he said. “The recent rain storms we’ve had in the area likely contributed. This will likely require a more permanent fix, which will happen later this summer when we shift traffic on I-15 in this area to the east. That traffic shift is happening to accommodate work related to the 5600 South project and will allow us to access this area without closing lanes of the freeway.”
The Friday sinkhole appearance came just a day after a similar incident along I-15 near South Jordan.
Shaw said sinkholes are a potential reality throughout the system and it’s hard to pin down which areas are most prone to them.
“Similar to the pavement buckles we see in the extreme heat of the summer, sinkholes are always a possibility and it’s impossible to know when or where they will occur,” he said. “Fortunately, they take time to develop and our crews are really good at spotting them. When we become aware of a sinkhole, we take immediate action to repair it.”
