Crews repairing clay sewer pipe, large hole on Cedar Rapids street

CEDAR RAPIDS - Work to repair a large hole in the middle of a street in southwest Cedar Rapids got underway Tuesday and city officials hope to have the road reopened to traffic by Friday.

The hole, located in the 500 block of 10th Street SW, has been concerning to homeowners in the area. On Monday, it measured approximately 7-by-4.5 feet wide and roughly 4.5 feet deep.

On Tuesday, a section of the road was closed as crews from Cedar Rapids-based Dave Schmitt Construction Co. began to dig out a collapsed clay storm sewer pipe that led to the formation of the cavity. The company plans to replace the clay pipe with one made of concrete.

Sara Baughman, a spokeswoman for the city's utility department, said the crews are replacing up to 30 feet of pipe - 10 feet more than city officials originally planned. Cost for the project was not to exceed $15,000, but Baughman said that could change based on the scope of the project now having changed.

A depression in the street was first noticed by city crews on April 18, triggering a process to find an outside contractor to repair the road, said Baughman, adding rain caused the dirt under the asphalt to erode, causing the street to eventually collapse. Baughman could not confirm when the construction company was hired to complete the pipe work. City officials are working to hire another contractor to repair the asphalt.

Crews are hoping to have the road open to traffic by Friday if no other problems are discovered, said Baughman.

The clay pipes, which date back decades, are more commonly used for sanitary waste, Baughman said, adding information about this type of infrastructure is not always accurate in city records. In fact, the pipe on 10th Street SW was labeled as a concrete pipe.

She urged residents to notify the city if they notice a pothole or depression increase in size, so crews can be aware of a potential problem.

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