A sinkhole that recently formed near The Convo was caused by a leaking drainpipe, leaving South Shafer Street now closed for at least a week.
The 36-inch storm drain, located 15 feet beneath parking lot 127, has failed, creating the growing sinkhole. South Shafer Street between Hospital Drive and Richland Avenue is closed today and will remain so for “emergency repairs,” according to a news release from Athens Engineering and Public Works.
The sewer, which drains all of the water from Ohio University’s West Green buildings, runs through the parking lot, under South Shafer Street and beneath Pepsi Tail-Great Park before emptying into the Hocking River, said Andy Stone, director of the department.
“Portions (of the pipe) are failing, and sinkholes are forming,” Stone said.
Contractors are investigating the drain and details are not yet known, said Katie Quaranta, a university spokeswoman. Construction crews have been digging up a portion of the parking lot to reach the pipe.
“There aren’t cost estimates right now because they’re investigating the drain right now,” Quaranta said.
However, Stone said it would likely be costly.
“For a line this deep … there’s much more cost, a much higher degree of care for workers,” Stone said. Neither he nor Quaranta could give any figure as to how much a project like this could cost. Quaranta did say the money would come from OU’s emergency maintenance reserve fund.
Stone also said such a major pipe failure is an uncommon occurrence.
“Do (leaks) happen frequently to drainage pipes? Yeah. Does it happen to this large or deep of a line? No,” Stone said.
Quaranta said no other problems or leaks are known on the pipe, but OU has had problems with the drain during the past five years. When a major leak springs in a line, it can wash the surrounding earth away, forming such a sinkhole, he said.
Stone said emergency vehicles will be rerouted from state Route 682 to West Union Street, while university traffic will go through West Green Drive, according to an OU news release. Both OU and Athens advised traffic away from the area for the duration of the repairs.
All of the repairs should be completed by May 27, weather permitting, according to the OU release.
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