These are the images that show how a massive sinkhole in West Virginia is threatening to swallow up an entire police station as it teeters on the brink.

The sinkhole appeared on a major road and grew steadily larger, according to local media.

Now local officials are to span the gulf with a temporary Bailey-style bridge, used to create emergency river crossings during World War II.

Newsflash obtained a statement from the West Virginia Department of Transportation on Friday, 18th November, saying: “West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) bridge crews will begin installation of a temporary bridge on WV 20 in Hinton on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022, to span a massive sinkhole that opened under the road.”

The sinkhole is currently threatening to swallow up a police department located along West Virginia Route 20, as can be seen in these photographs.

The sinkhole reportedly first appeared in June but it has since grown much larger.

The West Virginia Department of Transportation added: “WV 20 will be closed during the construction period, which is expected to be complete on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022. Detour during construction will be WV 3 (Hinton to Shady Spring), US 19 (Shady Spring to Beaver), WV 307 (Beaver to Airport Road), Interstate 64 (Airport Road to Sandstone), and WV 20 (Sandstone to Hinton).

“WVDOH Chief Engineer of District Operations Joe Pack, P.E., said bridge assembly and installation will be done in the middle of WV 20, and will take between 24 and 48 hours. The prefabricated steel bridge is similar to Bailey bridges developed by the British military during World War II, and requires assembly on site.” (sic)

Pack added: “We just put it together like a big Lego set.”