KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A portion of Gillham Road near Armour Boulevard in Midtown Kansas City collapsed Monday morning, leaving a hole around 20 feet deep in the roadway.

Officials said the collapse was caused by two sewer lines and a water line that had broken beneath the pavement.

Crews blocked off the road as they assessed the situation. Around 11 a.m., crews were moving heavy machinery to the site to begin fixing the hole.

KC Water said it was still investigating what caused the pipe breaks but said it could be due to increased rainfall so far this year.

"We have had a lot of rain, and that affects our water system as far as the pressure of all that stormwater going into our pipes," KC Water media relations coordinator Heather Frierson said. "This is a combination of stormwater and wastewater, so a lot of the pressure going into the pipes could cause some related breaks. The rainwater has just been very bountiful this year."

Officials hoped to have water restored to customers in the area, including several apartment complexes, by the end of Monday. The road is expected to be closed for a couple of days while repairs continue.

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