Sinkhole closes Eastman Lane in Amherst

AMHERST — A section of Eastman Lane, from the traffic signal at East Pleasant Street to just east of the entrance to Sylvan Lot 44, is closed after a leaking drainage culvert caused a sinkhole in the road Wednesday.

Jersey barriers are set up and detours are in place as a plan is underway for repairs to be done by crews from the University of Massachusetts, which manages the road.

The closure of the road has created some congestion around campus, as Eastman Lane is one of the main access points to UMass. Both the UMass Police Station and the town’s North Fire Station are located on East Pleasant Street at the Eastman lane intersection.

Officials are assessing next steps and a repair timeline, according to information provided by the UMass news office.

Access to Sylvan Lot 44, the Sylvan Residential Area and the North Residential Area, and other buildings off Eastman Lane, can continue to be made from North Pleasant Street.

PVTA bus routes 33, 34 and 35, though, are currently not servicing Sylvan or Tillson Farm Road, which is across East Pleasant Street.