West River Parkway between Portland and 4th avenues N. in downtown Minneapolis is back open for vehicular traffic.

Officials closed the mile-long stretch of West River Parkway after a small sinkhole formed next to the bicycle path last Wednesday. They reopened the road Monday morning, but a bike path and parking lot near Mill Ruins Park remain closed, said Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board spokeswoman Robin Smothers.

Engineers are still trying to decide how to go about filling the sinkhole, Smothers said, but they determined that it was not affecting the integrity of the road and that the parkway could support traffic.

Bike traffic has been diverted to a nearby pedestrian path for safety.

A passerby reported the sinkhole to the park board's customer service line last week. Workers measured the sinkhole about 6 feet across and 15 feet deep, Smothers said. Park board engineers immediately closed the surrounding area.

The road was opened around 8 a.m. Monday.

Star Tribune, Star Tribune
On the bike path of the W. River Parkway near Portland Ave and the Stone Arch Bridge where a sinkhole developed, authorities close traffic as a precaution.

Tim Harlow