Growing hole triggers safety concerns on 10th Street SW

CEDAR RAPIDS - A cavity large enough to swallow a jogger, bike or at least part of a car has opened a void smack in the middle of the 500 block of 10th Street SW.

Motorists on Monday veered around five orange cones marking the hole's perimeter, and some visibly dropped their jaws upon seeing its dimensions.

On Monday afternoon, the hole was approximately 7 feet by 4.5 feet wide and 4.5 feet deep in places, but dirt had washed out underneath intact asphalt, suggesting more of the road surface could be in jeopardy.

A city official said work to repair the road is scheduled to begin Tuesday, but it is not immediately clear how long the repair will take or how much it will cost.

Sara Baughman, a spokeswoman for the city utility department, said a city storm sewer made of clay collapsed, leading to the gap. A city worker noticed the faltering pavement and reported it on April 18, she said. She agreed water had eroded the dirt below, causing the hole to expand.

She said the nature of the problem required finding a private contractor to handle repairs, and they had to wait for the contractor to be available.

'We've barricaded off the area and tried to make it as visible as possible,” she said. 'We wanted to keep the road way open so traffic can still use the area while drawing attention to the hole.”

Neighbors are concerned.

'It's a huge safety issue,” said Danetta Turk, 30, whose home is adjacent. 'It's just a matter of time before the whole street collapses. I don't let my kids play out front.”

Turk has been watching the hole grow larger and larger since first appearing on April 17 after the road buckled under the weight of a city truck, she said.

She said the pavement over the hole has been patched twice recently, including this past November.

Two layers of asphalt are discernible. The asphalt has fallen into the hole, where bricks and dirt are also visible.

Imani Moore, who lives nearby, is concerned about the wait.

'The city put up cones but has not returned to start work on it, and the sinkhole is getting larger,” Moore said. 'There are driveways and cars parked right next to (it), and the concern is that it will collapse and damage personal property.”