Russian city of Samara being 'eaten alive' by sinkholes
Residents of Samara, in south Russia, have seen cars and buses vanish beneath their streets as an epidemic of sinkholes spreads through the city.In scenes reminiscent of a disaster film, residential streets and major thoroughfares have emerged from the city’s harsh winter unable to withstand the pressure from daily traffic.
The cause of the holes is thought to be a combination of poor road construction and the severe weather experienced over the past winter.
As temperatures dove to more than -20 Celsius, the ice and resulting melt water causes erosion both below and at ground level.
Combined with poor drainage, soil beneath the roads has been allowed to be washed away.
While winter causes most urban areas to suffer potholes and cracks of some form or other, the level of destruction in Samara has taken the problem to a whole new level.
This is not the first time the city has suffered from crumbling tarmac. Every year the city suffers from severe potholes and three years ago the problem took another life after a driver’s car disappeared under a pavement as the road surface gave way. - The Telegraph.
Officials speak out about sinkholes plaguing Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
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| A "super sinkhole" at Fourth and Woodbine Streets in Harrisburg, Pa. |
Officials are responding to Mayor Eric Papenfuse’s letter to County Commissioners on Tuesday. In the letter, Papenfuse asked about grant money to fix sinkholes of the 1400 block of South 14th Street. The letter follows news that the city “most likely” would not get any money from the county’s grant disaster recovery fund.
Dauphin County Chief Clerk Chad Saylor says the mayor is overreacting.
“It’s these letters, these accusations; these public attacks are doing nothing to help the folks of south Harrisburg,” Saylor said. “We’ve got to move this process forward as fast as possible. So, we believe that project is flood related, we believe that once HUD takes a look at it, they will agree and approve the project.”
Mayor Papenfuse wants to know the status of the grant application and about the rest of the grant money. Saylor says although Harrisburg is not eligible for the first round of funding, the city could still receive money in the next round of grants.
WATCH: Officials speak out about Harrisburg’s sinkholes.
- FOX43.
Colorado city stumped by sinkhole with no broken water pipes
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| City crews recently discovered a 4 foot-deep sinkhole when they went to fix what was originally reported as a pot hole on North Elizabeth near 29th Street on Tuesday. © CHIEFTAIN PHOTO/CHRIS MCLEAN |
City crews are repairing a 4-foot-deep sinkhole that appeared in North Elizabeth Street last Friday evening.
Public Works Director Earl Wilkinson said the cause of the sinkhole hasn't been determined, but it did not cause any injury.
"We excavated down about 8 feet and all the material is dry," he said Tuesday, meaning there was no sign of underground water causing a subsidence. "We may never know why this one occurred."
The sinkhole is just north of the Elizabeth and 29th Street intersection.
Wilkinson said the city will fill the hole with a concrete-like material that will fill up any gaps in the soil. Then a layer of aggregate will be poured on top, followed by fresh asphalt. The repair should be completed by the end of the week.
"We were fortunate no one was injured by driving into it," he said. - Pueblo Chieftain.
Sinkhole swallows garden sheds in Swanley, UK
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| The sinkhole swallowed two sheds |
A sinkhole has opened up in a Kent town swallowing two sheds and disrupting sewers and water supplies.
The hole appeared in Swanley several days ago, but residents have said no repair plan has been put in place.
Joe Hutchings, of Oliver Road, said he saw his shed half-standing, and then he watched the whole structure collapse.
Thames Water said a sewer broke after the ground collapsed and it would work with Sevenoaks council to see what investigations could be carried out.
BBC reporter Zac Daunt-Jones said the hole was a few metres deep and about 6.5ft (2m) by 9.8ft (3m) across.
Gary Kent, who saw his shed and Mr Hutchings's shed fall in the hole last Thursday, said: "The bricks started becoming unsafe around the doorway and it's imploded on itself, and the next-door neighbour's shed's gone down there as well, plus all their contents."
Mr Kent said residents were left not knowing where to turn, and Mr Hutchings said nobody seemed to be willing to give them any advice.
In a statement, Thames Water said its sewer was in working order before the sink hole appeared, but the ground movement caused it to break.
It said: "We're very sympathetic to how worrying this situation must be, so we'll get in touch with the council to see what further investigations can be carried out." - BBC.
Sinkhole closes Laketon Road in Penn Hills
A sinkhole has prompted the indefinite closure of Laketon Road in Penn Hills, the Allegheny County Department of Public Works said today.The sinkhole is in the 2800 block of Laketon Road, just east of the intersection with Crab Hollow Road.
Traffic on the road will be maintained for local residents but others will need to take alternate routes.
There is no word on how long the road will stay closed. - PG.
Sinkhole swallows garbage truck in Jersey City
Litter was the least concern of Jersey City residents opposed to trash in the streets when a garbage truck got stuck in a sinkhole early Wednesday morning, police said.
At 1:24 a.m., a garbage truck from Industrial Waste Management got stuck in a 4-by-2 foot sinkhole on Woodland Avenue between Lembeck and Greenville avenues, a police report says.
The truck, which had its driver's side rear wheels stuck in the hole, was pulled out by a private tow truck, the report said, adding that an axle on that side of the garbage truck was damaged.
A water main was broken during the incident, the report says. United Water spokesman David Johnson said crews were repairing the six-inch main yesterday.
- The Jersey Journal.
Sinkhole causes traffic inconvenience at Summit and Jefferson, Ohio
Drivers have reported a sinkhole at Summit and Jefferson in downtown Toledo. Repairing it will be a major project, so drivers can expect to be inconvenienced until it's complete.
A traffic pattern has been set up for drivers to maneuver around the sinkhole.
The repair is complicated because it occurred over a major sewer line. City officials say city crews can't make the repair. A contractor has to be hired.
WATCH: Downtown sinkhole.
Sinkholes are not an uncommon sight at this time of year.
“Unfortunately, when you get additional moisture, it starts pulling that ground and everything down to the sewer lines, and that's when these caves start showing up a little and become more apparent,” said David Pratt, Toledo's sewer and drainage commissioner.
Work on the sinkhole should be complete in a week. - Toledo News Now.
