'Monster' sinkhole shuts down highway 101 in Oregon

HARBOR, Ore., Jan. 30 (UPI) -- A massive sinkhole near U.S. 101 in Oregon has caused the highway to be shutdown.

The sinkhole opened after storms that dropped 1.5 inches of rain and a landslide near the highway in Harbor, Ore.

"It's a monster," Oregon Department of Transportation spokesperson Jared Castle told NBC News. "It's massive. There's just no other way to describe it."

Officials are unsure of the sinkhole's width but said it exceeds 60 feet in depth. Castle said the new sinkhole probably joined with another sinkhole that formed on Dec. 13.

The Oregon Department of Transportation shared on Twitter photos of the sinkhole and drone footage from local resident Kyle Rice.

Despite the massive size, there have been no injuries or evacuations. Castle said a traffic detour has been causing a 5-10 minute travel delay.

"it's just part of the battle of having the Oregon Coast Highway located where it's at," he said. "It's a road built in a place where Mother Nature never intended for there to be a road."

Road crews have been working to seal the hole to reduce the detour time, but the road is not expected to be completely repaired until March.