A walking path around Lake Montebello in northeast Baltimore will temporarily reopen on Saturday, March 29 after a multi-year sinkhole repair project, according to the Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW). The effort to stabilize the aging infrastructure under the reservoir began after a
sinkhole opened up in 2022. "What began as a sinkhole roughly the size of a basketball revealed the urgent need to overhaul century-old infrastructure beneath Lake Montebello," DPW Director Khalil Zaied said. The walking path with be reopened temporarily before another critical project starts in the fall to support operations at the Montebello Filtration Plant. "This spring and summer, we're taking a short pause before beginning the next phase of work to fortify the Montebello Filtration Plant – one of the most critical assets in our water system," Zaied said. While the walking loop around the lake will be reopened, some sections of the area will be fenced off for safety as crews work to finish stabilizing the ground and allow new grass to grow. Some materials, like silt fencing, will stay in place until the grass is fully established later in the summer.
Flooding sparks investigation
During an interview last year, the chief of engineering and construction at DPW said severe flooding on Hillen Road in 2020 sparked an investigation into a 65-foot storm drain. Investigators found that a portion of the 145-year-old drain collapsed beneath the road. The drain collapse exposed infrastructure, including a 108-year-old storm drain and an 84-inch water transmission main. It also caused the sinkhole to expand in November 2022. To repair the damage, DPW removed about 7,500 dump trucks of soil. According to DPW officials, the project created several challenges, and a 48-inch above-ground pipe had to be installed to temporarily provide water service during the construction work. DPW installed a new 84-inch water main in early 2025 to continue supplying drinking water to nearly 300,000 residents.
Lake dredging begins in fall 2025
DPW will begin dredging Lake Montebello in the fall of 2025 to remove built-up sediment and restore the lake to its full capacity. The project is expected to take two years and will require that part of the walking loop around the lake be closed, according to DPW. The closed section of the path will serve as a staging area for equipment and construction vehicles, and the rest of the loop will remain open for public use. DPW officials reminded residents that while many visit Lake Montebello for recreation, it is still part of the Montebello Filtration Plant and plays a role in providing clean drinking water to Baltimore. The dredging project is necessary to maintain the filtration system and ensure compliance with regulations set by the Maryland Department of the Environment.
