Monterey Park closed due to sinkhole

ANGELINA COUNTY, TX (KTRE) - A popular boat ramp in southern Angelina County is closed for the next two weeks due to a sinkhole near the entrance.

According to Angelina County Precinct 4 Commissioner Bobby Cheshire, the park was closed over the weekend after a culvert collapsed causing the roadway to cave in as well.

"We got a call from the sheriff's office on Friday so I sent my foreman out to check it out," Cheshire said. "At the time we thought the right of way was ours but we found out it belong to the Army Corps of Engineers."

Bart Dearborn with the corps said the repairs should take a couple of weeks.

"We first have to replace the culvert," Dearborn said. "The water has caused damage to that culvert. Then we will need to repair the road on top."

Cheshire said the closure has concerned him due to the accessibility for the residents that live between Huntington and Zavalla.

"It's primarily used by the locals because of it's ease of access," Cheshire said. "Even other people from in the county and other counties use Monterey Park just because of the ease of access."

Cheshire said there was confusion when it came to determining who was responsible for the fix because of the way the maintenance responsibility is divided up along the roadway between TXDOT, the county and the corps.

Cheshire did get good news Tuesday for concerned residents. Early in the day, Cheshire said he talked to Judge Wes Suiter who then called the corps and was given a timetable.

"To the best of their ability they are going to have the park back open Wednesday week," Cheshire said.

While the park is closed, boaters are able to use Hanks Creek and Cassels-Boykin Park.

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