I just heard this on NBC News, and although I don’t live in the region any more, I used to, and know that there are people here who do. The map in this story indicates that the main closure is next to and parallel to the Mississippi River, so it’s going to tie up traffic for some time.
https://www.ksdk.com/article/traffic/downtown-st-louis-sinkhole-interstate-44-70-ramp-road-closures-last-at-least-a-week/63-544aad6c-a04c-48f7-898f-c131699c18ef
That’s me too. Hi ex-neighbor!
Wow, that is going to make an absolute hash of traffic anywhere near downtown. Poor unlucky folks.
It’s unclear in the article, and perhaps in reality, whether the sinkhole collapse broke a previously intact water main, or whether a water main leak caused the sinkhole.
Separately this statement in the article
A Water Division spokesperson said crews are working to shut off valves to isolate the break, but infrastructure issues are making it difficult to slow the water flow.
is code for: all our valves are rusted stuck, since we never move them and they’re a century old now. Like most major eastern cities, all the infrastructure is now reaching or has already well surpassed its design lifespan and needs comprehensive replacement. For which billions are needed and zero is available.
Area resident here. This is a clusterf*** of massive proportions. The sinkhole measures 35’x20’ and is at least 10’ deep. It’s right where the bridges across the Mississippi enter downtown, and it looks like it may be undermining one or more support piers for the Interstate overpass.
St. Louis is currently in a struggle on multiple fronts about how much money to spend on rebuilding after last year’s tornado, how much the state-run police board can claim, and was already in a discussion about whether to sell the water department.
There’s plenty of dosh available, just that the collective “you” seem to prioritise dropping it by the bucket as ordinance.
Maybe all that cash raised from foreigners via tariffs to be diverted to essential infrastructure … No? Sorry about that. My bad.
Living in a river town a couple hundred miles to the north-northeast, I do know that when a sinkhole opens up, it’s probably a lot bigger than it looks at first.
Things that make you say “Hmmmmnnnnn. . .”
I’m so sorry that you all are going through this. It sounds like it could be a long time before safe travel resumes.
Latest word from the highway department was two weeks for repairs. In St. Louis we’re familiar with sinkholes - it’s just the location and size of this one that makes things tricky.