LOWNDES COUNTY — Residents in north Lowndes County were notified Tuesday night that a large sinkhole had formed near the Shiloh community.

The sinkhole consumed a pond and forced the closing of a busy county road, Shiloh Road, between Parker Road and Franks Creek Road.

The county has issued warnings to residents to stay away from the area due to the unstable nature of the site.  Further, most of the sinkhole is located on private property.

County engineers will evaluate the area and report any further information.  Detours have been set up until conditions are deemed safe for travel.

This disruption to traffic comes just days after the Franks Creek bridge on the Morven Highway was completed as part of the recent SPLOST initiative.  That project had rerouted traffic for the majority of the summer, with the bridge being opened just in time for the return of school.