bayamon puerto rico/new york along stretch highway suburban bayamon puerto rico construction workers try desperately make progress repair 100-foot-long sinkhole cloud roll previous rain suspend work workers watch earth fall back hole want stop rain since hurricane maria say carlos rivera 26-year-old contract worker site last month cars back miles along puerto rico highway either side colossal construction site swallow four five lanes 20-foot crater among thousands sit damage storm expose already fragile infrastructure puerto rico decimate water power roadways fix one sinkhole require maneuver set vex logistical financial hurdle reveal rebuild isolate island take much time work storm-ravaged region mainland unite state hole one 3,500 report incidents hurricane damage puerto rico-owned roadways repair cost estimate 250 million u.s. territory puerto rico already trouble maria hit sept. 20 strong storm strike island nine decades economy recession decade push island bankruptcy restructure 120 billion bond pension debt task rebuild make much hard challenge expense bring supply equipment island depend heavily u.s. aid likely struggle finance expect share rebuild storm cut power cell service fell tree destroy 230,000 home damage another 400,000. one casualties stretch highway vital 143-mile artery san juan ponce run west san juan loop south road transport thousands people day san juan suburbs island bustle capital hurricane maria rain flood pip highway one burst water gush old pipe deep roadway scour hole grind eventually collapse officials could ignore sinkhole squeeze eastbound traffic single westbound lane detour westbound traffic temper begin fray residents endure one-mile drive nearly hour problem fell puerto rico transportation public work secretary carlos contreras aponte department oversee island highway transportation authority prhta manage third puerto rico 9,300 miles roadway press problem face contreras logistics rebuild road power limit truck electrical light cell phone week less half island power restore accord puerto rico electric power authority puerto rico antiquate electric grid decimate storm need complete rebuild electricity require run machinery use extract rock raw materials produce asphalt since storm contractors bring diesel-powered generators power machinery cumbersome expensive task contreras say something happen every industry create shortage generators contreras say another scarce commodity truck much population cut power communication island force divert hundreds truck drivers help bring supply needy citizens leave vehicles behind transport equipment materials need fix infrastructure include highway sinkhole truck drivers many hire company secretary say among compete truck puerto rico water sewer authority know prasa prasa president eli diaz-atienza tell reuters interview october agency 125 truck service island 3.4 million residents request truck fema tap u.s. army national guard vehicles contract private sector firm repurpose vehicles milk truck never enough truck diaz say replacements damage traffic signal puerto rico 1,200 intersections must fly island state expensive complicate process truck supply puerto rico never repair equipment intersections contreras say communications remain problem cell service iffy roads department resort use runners travel hours areas island without phone service relay report damage travel time word-of-mouth communication lead incorrect incomplete confuse information delay contreras say sometimes get description problem send technical people completely different story explain one problem particular sinkhole manage avoid money lay major thoroughfare contreras decide prioritize fund repair expect million 42.5 million emergency fund federal highway administration puerto rico officials could reach comment final cost time require repair roadway reuters witness drive highway week say area pave traffic move easily triage process pit rebuild project others reflect broad financial ruin puerto rico initial u.s. aid package nearly enough agencies like prhta cities towns rely heavily u.s. federal emergency management agency finance rebuild long term municipality puerto rico money build infrastructure need say angel perez mayor guaynabo damage municipal property estimate 25 million 30 million big hit san juan suburb whose total budget 130 million cash-strapped cities towns also scramble pay front cost rebuild project major emergency puerto rico treat u.s. state fema spokesman say eligible fema aid type federal fund make available state suffer catastrophe say rebuild aid typically condition cost-sharing agreement would require puerto rico match quarter expense share reduce 10 percent month white house say still puerto rico financial crisis cripple blow storm mean territory could still hard-pressed put share long project take costly get contreras say relentless caribbean rain continue erode damage stretch highway particularly bury mudslides highway sinkhole construction worker silvano monica 62 say work small start roads bridge problems like island puerto rico sinkhole rebuild struggle