Rest in peace to "Steve" the sinkhole.
He was roughly 35 hours old.
At about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, the California Highway Patrol announced the massive hole in Highway 13 at Broadway Terrace in Oakland was fully filled in with concrete, and drivers could now ride freely on the newly named "Andy Asphalt."
It was obvious the CHP was having a little fun with the agency's social media account, tweeting and Facebooking updates on the sinkhole officers nicknamed Steve. (Because, they said, why not?)
The sinkhole was reported on Monday at 5:20 a.m. after a weekend of pounding rainstorms. And Caltrans worked for more than a day to repair it by filling it in with concrete.
While East Bay drivers sure didn't enjoy single-tracking it along Highway 13, many on Twitter got some laughs over the naming of Steve, possibly the first sinkhole in the United States to be named.
The Life and Death of #StevetheSinkhole
Local
For example, Kristin Rasmussen tweeted: "The fact that the CHP named this sinkhole makes my day/week/year."
Officer Sean Wilkenfeld, the Oakland division's spokesman, acknowledged to NBC Bay Area that he is indeed the mastermind of and "stepfather" of Steve's creation.
"We constantly are putting out public safety messages," he said. "And I get it, sometimes they get lost in the jumble. Sometimes you gotta' think outside the box."
Good morning! #SteveTheSinkhole is still blocking lanes, but his life is nearing its end. He should be gone by the evening commute. #RIP pic.twitter.com/VChtPkUqb9 — CHP Oakland (@CHPoakland) January 24, 2017
3 cement trucks later... #SteveTheSinkhole https://t.co/90P99J6T0C pic.twitter.com/0x3rQogdhL — CHP Oakland (@CHPoakland) January 24, 2017
Introducing Steve, the sinkhole. Please be careful as you pass Steve on southbound 13 in #Oakland. https://t.co/90P99J6T0C pic.twitter.com/Js9crVIe76 — CHP Oakland (@CHPoakland) January 23, 2017
@ljfernandez Because why not! — CHP Oakland (@CHPoakland) January 23, 2017
@ljfernandez @nbcbayarea We're not aware of any other times. Maybe Steve is the first! — CHP Oakland (@CHPoakland) January 23, 2017
No!!!!!!! Look what they are doing to Steve! #SteveTheSinkhole pic.twitter.com/orXMogs0y7 — CHP Oakland (@CHPoakland) January 24, 2017
