South Benbow Road intersection reopens after Greensboro sinkhole repair

GREENSBORO — Drivers can use the intersection of South Benbow Road and Perkins Street again after Greensboro crews completed repairs to a large sinkhole and reopened the roadway Friday, Aug. 14.

The City of Greensboro said the sinkhole formed after a six-inch water line beneath the street failed on Tuesday, Aug. 11. The line had been installed in the 1950s and was recorded as disconnected in 1972, but it remained connected and pressurized. When the line split, water eroded soil and entered a storm-drain line.

Water service was restored Tuesday night. Stormwater crews then repaired damaged pipes about 20 feet underground, while transportation crews removed damaged asphalt, paved the affected section and cleaned nearby streets before reopening the intersection. The city said a sinkhole of this size is unusual in Greensboro and that the city had not seen one of this magnitude since 2007.

Greensboro expects to spend $13 million during the 2026-27 fiscal year on water and sewer rehabilitation. Residents should report water or sewer emergencies, including main breaks, sewer stoppages or changes in drinking-water taste, odor or color, to Water Resources’ 24-hour dispatch line at 336-373-2033.

Source: Reporting is based on the City of Greensboro’s Aug. 13 repair update and Aug. 14 transportation notice, available through the Greensboro Department of Transportation and the city’s official sinkhole repair update.

Art note: Original AI-generated editorial illustration commissioned for GetStarNews; it is illustrative and not a documentary photograph of the intersection.