A pesky sinkhole has sidelined part of Dallas’ favorite lakeside workout loop, forcing city crews to shut down a key stretch of the White Rock Lake trail yesterday and sending weekend runners and cyclists scrambling for detours.
City of Dallas crews closed the paved trail along the south shore between Lawther Drive and the spillway after the ground opened up near the water. Engineers are now sizing up the damage to figure out whether more of the shoreline could give way, and park officials are telling everyone to steer clear and respect the barricades. Weekend events that rely on a full loop around the lake were among the first to feel the impact.
Sinkhole Forces Sudden Shutdown
According to WFAA, the city shut down the section from Lawther Drive to the spillway after spotting the sinkhole and flagging a “potential risk of collapse” along that portion of trail. City staff told the station they would complete an on-site assessment first, then lay out the repair plan and a timeline for reopening.
WFAA also reported that the Dallas Running Club pulled the plug on its Breakfast Bash that had been slated for Saturday morning, another casualty of the suddenly fractured loop.
What Officials Are Saying
On its White Rock Lake information page, the City of Dallas Park & Recreation Department urged visitors to stay out of the blocked-off area and to follow posted safety signs while crews check the shoreline. The department says staff will share updates on repairs and a reopening plan once engineers finish their inspection and any immediate stabilization work.
Planned Fixes And Timeline
Park staff have already floated a bigger-picture fix for this stretch of lakefront: installing roughly 1,125 linear feet of sheet piling along the Garland Road shoreline as a permanent stabilization measure. That concept was presented to the parks board in a November 2024 briefing, according to the City of Dallas Parks and Recreation Board…