With discussions ongoing about repairing the immediate sinkhole site at 10th and Commercial, Emporia city officials are also considering exactly how extensive repairs may be elsewhere in downtown Emporia.
City Engineer Jim Ubert, a guest on KVOE’s Morning Show on Wednesday, says results are pending after underground video work at the sinkhole site Tuesday. The current goal is to handle a 44-inch storm sewer box, installed between 1900-1920, that cracked and failed — leading to seepage and the eventual deterioration of the subgrade material. All things considered, Ubert says the city “got its service life and then some” with the storm sewer box.
Ubert says the city will go through its GIS database to see if there are other storm sewer boxes of similar age and construction. Then exploratory work is ahead.
If the city can limit the repairs to the sinkhole site, Ubert says the ground-level and below-ground level repairs could cost between $40,000 and $60,000. Because of the processes underway now, there is no word yet on when the street can be repaired and Commercial Street can reopen to traffic. Ubert also says there is still some work ahead to determine whether the active 10-inch waterline and abandoned waterline nearby suffered any damage.
