Since New Year’s Day, Arlene Esquilin says four sinkholes have opened up outside her Lesher Street rowhouse in Frankford, carving out a gap right next to the handicapped parking space she relies on to load her 9‑year‑old son. Her son does not walk and weighs about 65 pounds, she told reporters, so she now parks down the block and carries him to the car. The repeated street collapses have Esquilin and her neighbors on edge and hunting for answers.
Security‑camera footage caught the first hole opening as a utilities truck rolled past, with another collapse following days later, according to 6abc. Esquilin says she spent months calling 311, the Philadelphia Water Department and the Streets Department, but did not see real movement until the station reached out to the city and crews showed up to inspect. Those crews snapped photos and left a temporary barrier, she told reporters, but no permanent fix.
Esquilin said workers told her repairs could take up to 45 days, which matches the Department of Streets’ own guidance for ditch and trench work. “I want someone to come out and respond and fix this … something has to be done,” she told 6abc. The Streets Department’s online guidance notes that cave‑in and trench repairs often require coordination with utilities and can take weeks to schedule, and urges residents to file a Philly311 report with photos and the exact location.
Lozada Turns Up Pressure After District Hearing
Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, whose 7th District includes Frankford, has been pressing city agencies about water‑main breaks and sinkholes and introduced a resolution authorizing joint hearings on the problem. Local reporting from the Philadelphia Hall Monitor details the hearings, including testimony and the Philadelphia Water Department’s responses.
Frankford Holes Part Of Citywide Street Woes
The Lesher Street collapses are landing in the middle of a broader mess on Philadelphia roads. NBC10 found the Streets Department has logged more than 1,000 pothole or sinkhole reports to 311 since December, with more than 400 still open. Local coverage, including Hoodline’s Nicetown Trash Can Sinkhole story, shows Frankford and nearby neighborhoods often wait weeks for permanent repairs, which has only deepened residents’ frustration.
What Neighbors Can Do To Push Repairs Along
The Streets Department asks residents to submit detailed service requests to Philly311, including photos, the precise location and whether water is visible, so crews can prioritize cases, according to the city’s website. Utility and sewer work can slow permanent patches, and PennDOT recently noted Philadelphia Water Department sewer work on Frankford Avenue that may affect both scheduling and traffic along the corridor…