Officials estimated that the depression stretched  40 feet wide and 40 feet deep. As of Thursday, all lanes of I-80 eastbound were closed, forcing travelers to find alternate routes, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

A sinkhole that opened up along Interstate 80 in northern New Jersey has forced authorities to close the eastbound lanes of the heavily traveled highway.

A sinkhole on a New Jersey interstate that's closed eastbound traffic for over 24 hours was caused by a collapse of abandoned mineshaft, officials said.