A sinkhole that developed in the middle of the intersection of Mission and State streets shut down traffic through the busy area for more than four hours Saturday afternoon.
The hole itself was about 2 feet by 2 feet, but the indented pavement around it was much larger.
The cause of the sinkhole has not yet been determined.
Santa Barbara police barricaded nearby streets — a block in each direction from the intersection — but reopened the area to traffic by 6 p.m. after public works crews were able to patch the hole.
Crews arrived at the intersection with heavy equipment at 2 p.m. After they left, the hole was patched but the pavement was still indented.
A police officer told Noozhawk that the sinkhole hadn’t caused any water main or water line damage.
Mission Street was closed between Anacapa and Chapala streets and State Street was closed between Padre and Pedregosa streets, causing some traffic backups in the area.
Nearby businesses remained opened during the incident.
— Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
