NATCHEZ — State officials hope a sinkhole that was caused by drainage pipes coming loose will soon be just another part of the road.

District 7 Engineer Albert White said dump trucks would start filling the 15- by 25-foot hole today.

White said his goal is to have the road fully operational in one to two weeks.

“There could be a little hiccup here or there that can put us back,” White said. “But we are trying to get it in one week.”

The sinkhole developed Tuesday evening after drivers noticed a large pothole in the turning lane from U.S. 61 to U.S. 84 near the hospital.

White said traffic would not be diverted unless a dump truck is moving into or out of the area.

White said the sinkhole was caused by three drainage pipes, which became loose where they connected.

One pipe was placed in the 1940s, and the other two in the 1960s, White said. He is not sure when the pipes would have come loose, but said it is a fairly common problem.

“There are other issues that can cause an opening like that that are a lot harder and a lot harder to fix,” White said.

The heavy rains over the summer might have been a factor to why the sinkhole formed, but White said the dirt holding up the road has been slowly eroding away for years.

“We can’t tell you exactly when, or exactly how it started,” White said. “The intense rainfall makes it worse.”

White said his crews have checked for other breaks using cameras in the pipes, and the workers have not seen any.

Friday, the joints holding the pipes were cleaned out and reset. White said concrete was put between the pipes to hold them in place.

“It could have been a lot worse,” White said.  “We were planning for a worse situation. It’s a major repair, but it’s not beyond us.”