Charlottesville commuters from Greene County and northern Albemarle County cursed June 18 as they crawled south on Route 29. What caused the connundrum? A sinkhole near the Hollymead Town Center, caused by the failure of a corroded drainpipe that carries storm water runoff below the roadway. It’s the third time in less than two years that a sinkhole has appeared on the stretch of highway in front of the Seminole Commons shopping center.
Before a depression in the pavement was discovered on the morning of June 18, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) already had put out an invitation for bids to replace the entire length of the drainpipe, according to Lou Hatter, VDOT spokesman. Hatter says the department is expediting the replacement process because of the incident. In the meantime, however, a $10,000 temporary repair was made to the pipe so that traffic can continue until the permanent fix is made. An estimate for the replacement of the entire drainpipe has not yet been determined.
The initial sinkhole that appeared in November 2005 was the result of soil erosion below the pavement caused by the corroded drainage pipe, according to Hatter. The second incident in July 2006 resulted from the failure of a new section of pipe that was joined with the original pipe. In both cases, the soil erosion below the roadway created a void space above the pipe where pavement and soil began to settle.
For more information: Ever wondered how to repair a sinkhole? Charlottesville Tomorrow produced the following video of the latest US Route 29N hole in the road.
C-VILLE welcomes news tips from readers. Send them to news@c-ville.com.
