Limited airport operations in Citrus County as crews seal nearly 60-foot deep sinkhole

Limited airport operations in Citrus County as crews seal nearly 60-foot deep sinkhole

Published: Oct. 18, 2025

Citrus County and the Florida Department of Transportation have moved quickly to repair a large sinkhole that opened near the end of the runway at Crystal River Airport. Crews began staged repairs on Friday with the goal of completing the work within a week to fully reopen the airport.

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Sinkhole repairs began near the runway end and are expected to finish next week.
Citrus County commissioners approved an FDOT emergency grant to cover the full repair cost, estimated at $157,000; FDOT will fund roughly 80% and the county the remaining 20%.
A temporary patch was installed to allow limited airport operations while crews prepare a permanent repair.

Public Works Director Carlton Hall said ground-penetrating radar showed the hole measures about 15 to 16 feet in diameter and between 50 and 60 feet deep. The sinkhole was first discovered on Sept. 15. County crews continue to monitor the area daily for any additional subsidence.

“After they did ground penetrating radar, we determined the size is about 15 to 16 feet in diameter, and it’s anywhere from 50 to 60 feet deep, and at the same time, we’ve evaluated it each and every day to make sure we don’t have any additional sinkholes or anything else that opens up in the area,” said Hall.

Crew work includes drilling injection sites around the sinkhole and installing piping to inject concrete for a permanent seal. The method—often referred to as pressure grouting or compaction grouting—should prevent the void from reopening in the future.

Aviation Project Manager Todd Regan said the sinkhole did not occur in the middle of the runway, but the county displaced the runway end by about 1,000 feet to allow smaller aircraft to continue operating. Jet operations remain suspended until permanent repairs are completed.

With more than 20,000 flights a year on average, Crystal River Airport supports pilot training, tourism and local businesses. Officials say reopening the full runway will restore normal operations for the airport community.

For updates and official statements from Citrus County, visit the county public works or aviation pages. Read the original report by Erica Riggins on Spectrum News for full coverage.

Source: Spectrum News / BayNews9