A hole 5-feet wide appeared about 7 a.m. today on the northbound side of Red Mountain Expressway in Birmingham, dropping concrete onto University Boulevard.

The hole is on the U.S. 31 bridge that runs over University Boulevard, and is between the girders, said Robert Camp, area operations engineer for the Alabama Department of Transportation.

Camp said they were quickly notified and DOT workers responded to the scene. One lane of the expressway was closed for much of morning rush hour."We're taking steps to repair the hole,'' he said.

He said age and deterioration over time likely led to the damage. There has been no noticeable change in the size since workers arrived on the scene, which led them to the decision not to shut down the roadway.

Camp said permanent repairs will begin about noon. Though the hole is only five feet in diameter, the repair will be 30-feet long.

Motorists need to prepare for delays, he said. "We're just thankful no one got hurt,'' Camp said.

The incident will push back the repairs ALDOT had planned to complete on I-59 this weekend. Lane closures between 125A and 126A will be delayed, ALDOT said.

Updated at 9:20 a.m. and 11:40 a.m. with additional information from ALDOT.