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I24 sinkhole


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Got a hill sliding away on Highway 31 coming into Westmoreland.

The road is 3 lanes coming up the ridge to allow folks to pass slower traffic. Well about a 40 yard stretch of the far right (uphill) lane decided to sink about 4 feet during the flood weekend and crept a few inches further into the middle (uphill) lane over the past weekend with more rain. All they have done is put cones and barrels in place and burned a ton of fuel with big county and TDOT trucks parked above and below it with their yellow lights on.

If anyone is coming this way, especially you big truck drivers, beware, it gets tight in there and could go away at any time now.

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Rightwinger, although this is one of the few problems you see on a regular basis, there are many problems with our highway systems due to the recent floods. TDOT's maintenance doesn't really have the equipment to repair the hill, as it will be a fairly extensive job. Repairs such as this will be let out in an emergency contract. Some of the more severe problems south of us have already been awarded. The reason TDOT keeps staff on the sight is because the general public gets a kick out of running over traffic barriers and they need to be reset regularly for your protection. To design a repair such as this, in addition to securing funding for the project, obtaining all of the necessary environmental permits, etc., takes a little time. Your big, loveable bureaucratic government in action.

Edited by gregintenn
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I got no complaints about timing or funding. We generally are last in line up here anyway, not a bad thing IMHO.

My only issue is why it takes two 5 ton trucks to do what some flashing barriers could do. Those "on site" folks ain't moving and they sure ain't walking up and down that hill replacing cones or barrels. There is about a mile of it.

Your in Lafayette, you must have seen it by now.

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I got no complaints about timing or funding. We generally are last in line up here anyway, not a bad thing IMHO.

My only issue is why it takes two 5 ton trucks to do what some flashing barriers could do. Those "on site" folks ain't moving and they sure ain't walking up and down that hill replacing cones or barrels. There is about a mile of it.

Your in Lafayette, you must have seen it by now.

I've seen it. Have you sat and watched them? They are there for 12 hour shifts. You see them for about 15 seconds. They don't have a job that I'd envy. I'm telling ya, if some drunk fool runs off into that hole and sues the state for multi millions, the folks sitting in the truck making sure the area is safe to traverse will seem like quite a bargain. If the slide happens to get worse in the middle of the night, flashing barriers won't move themselves. I agree it doesn't seem efficient, but it's not a bad option short term. Moving enough concrete barriers there to secure the area would be very costly, and time consuming to set and then later remove.

Edited by gregintenn
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It was backed up pretty heavily for 4 miles today, and in the process of backing up for another 2 or so when I went by.

It looks like the hole is the width of both traffic lanes and part of the shoulders now. I guess they had to dig back to solid ground to fix it.

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Wait till you guys see it now. Today, we shut down highway 231!!! The approach to the bridge near hwy 31-E was washed out underneath it. I could walk under the driving lane with nothing but asphalt above me!!!:confused: People weren't happy, but it's a thousand wonders someone didn't get killed there. We will begin working on the hill at Westmoreland Monday.

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