ROCHESTER, Pa. -- A sinkhole off of Ohio River Boulevard in East Rochester that threatened to swallow a Pizza Hut restaurant as it continued to expand will finally be fixed.

Repairs in East Rochester are underway Friday as heavy equipment began to work on a crater that Pennsylvania Department of Transportation cells a monster.

“I go up and down here every day. Can’t help but see it,” said Beaver resident Joe Palakovich. “I seen cranes here. They’re finally going to do something.”

Repairs have been delayed for over two years as property owners fought over how to pay to fill the hole.

Last July, a rainstorm unclogged the pipe that caused the sinkhole to form, reducing the repair costs from $1 million to $150,000.

The costs of repairs will be split between PennDOT and the property owners.

“It should have been taken care of a long time ago,” said Al Meier, of Beaver.

PennDOT has not indicated how long repairs along Route 65 will take.

The owners of the former Evergreen restaurant hired an attorney after their complaints went unanswered by local government.

“Rochester Borough is not taking any action,” said attorney Beth Slagel. “State’s not taking action. We need a result.”

Slagel is filing a $25,000 lawsuit against the owners of the former Evergreen restaurant, demanding that they fix the problem.

The sinkhole measures 140 feet wide by 80 feet deep. Not only is it threatening the Pizza Hut restaurant, but it’s also weakening the ground beneath Ohio River Boulevard, as well.

The Department of Environmental Protection and Beaver County Emergency Management want the problem fixed, but the sinkhole is on private property, and they want the property owners to pay for it.