Sinkhole causes evacuation, closure of Penn State parking deck. What we know

A parking deck on Penn State’s University Park campus was evacuated Wednesday afternoon due to a sinkhole, and the deck remains closed until further notice.

The Eisenhower Parking Deck was evacuated around noon due to hazardous conditions from a sinkhole, according to a Centre County Emergency Alerts Facebook post. At 2:30 p.m., per the university, police and transportation services staff began assisting permit holders with removing their vehicles from the parking deck — although it’s possible some vehicles were not able to be removed “due to safety concerns.”

“If your vehicle cannot be removed, transportation services staff will be on site to assist you with transportation home this evening and to campus tomorrow, if needed,” according to a university alert.

It was not immediately known how many vehicles could not be removed.

At about 4 p.m., more than two dozen vehicles were seen exiting the parking deck while more than 100 people were lined up to get their vehicles. Permit holders were being taken to the deck in small groups to remove their vehicles from the facility.

Eisenhower Road remains closed, per a separate alert sent by Penn State. People were urged to avoid the area.

Penn State spokesperson Wyatt DuBois said the area has been temporarily closed to the public “out of an abundance of caution.” Engineering teams from the Office of the Physical Plant were on site to evaluate the structure and determine the next steps.

“This is a developing situation, and we will share more information as it becomes available,” DuBois wrote around 1 p.m.

It is unclear how the closure will affect move-in for Penn State students, which starts Thursday.