Officials estimated that the depression stretched  40 feet wide and 40 feet deep. As of Thursday, all lanes of I-80 eastbound were closed, forcing travelers to find alternate routes, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

A sinkhole on a New Jersey interstate that's closed eastbound traffic for over 24 hours was caused by a collapse of abandoned mineshaft, officials said.

The highway's guardrail still hung suspended in the air across the gaping 40-foot-wide (12-meter) hole, which opened up when an abandoned mine collapsed under the highway's right shoulder Thursday morning, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation.