James David Dickson, and Candice Williams

DetroitNews

Northbound Main Street in Royal Oak is expected to reopen sometime Monday after a sinkhole opened up on the road Friday afternoon, said Greg Rassel, director of the city’s Department of Public Works.

The sinkhole opened up on northbound Main Street in the area of 12 Mile on Friday at about 2:30 p.m. It was the result, Rassel said, of a collapsed sewer.

As of Sunday night, police told The News that the hole was still barricaded, and as of Monday morning, drivers were still forced to take detours on Crooks or Rochester Road to get back on northbound Main, Rassel said.

“This was a bigger job than we could handle,” and a contractor was hired to help, Rassel said. “It will be good enough to use (later Monday); the pavement will be there, but it’s not the permanent fix.”

Calvin Baker, manager of the National Coney Island on Main, said business came to a halt around 2:30 p.m. Friday after the sinkhole damaged the gas line.

Around a dozen patrons dining in the restaurant got their meals for free after being told they had to leave, Baker said. The restaurant’s closure Friday afternoon put a damper on business, he said.

“It’s one of our busiest times right now,” he said. “...We can’t operate without machinery. The grills and fryer run by gas.”

jdickson@detroitnews.com