Interstate 8 Sinkhole Repaired

[andy3175]

News of a sinkhole that formed on I-8 eastbound on Thursday 1/21/2016 in the late morning ... it was repaired by Friday.

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/jan/21/sinkhole-forming-on-east-interstate-8/

A large sinkhole opened on the right-hand shoulder of east Interstate 8 near San Diego State University Thursday, snarling traffic for miles as crews worked to repair the pit.

The hole, estimated to be 20 feet by 30 feet, and 20 feet deep, formed between College Avenue and Waring Road in College Area about 10:10 a.m., CHP Officer Tommy Doerr said.

Lanes closest to the sinkhole – first three lanes, then two –were closed in case the cavity was widening underneath the freeway, said Edward Cartagena, a Caltrans spokesman. Crews later determined the space had spread about two feet under the right-most lane.

It's still unclear what caused it. A Caltrans geologist will analyze the hole and the surrounding area to try to figure that out, Cartagena said. An irrigation pipe that was exposed when the sinkhole formed was not in use.

http://ourcitysd.com/blog/sa/#sthash.mKQLLdRe.dpbs

San Diego suffered a real doozy recently, along the shoulder of busy Interstate 8 no less. The sinkhole – as long as 30 feet and as deep as 20 feet – caused a traffic nightmare. It happened between College Avenue and Waring Road.

The city wasn't sure what the culprit was for that one. The rain can cause them by washing away the soil beneath roadways, leading them without support. And they buckle. Or, well, sink.

Sinkholes have a tendency to freak people out. For one, they can be huge – as if Godzilla left a footprint. And they're dangerous. Imagine driving into one – and being swallowed up whole, even if your vehicle of choice is a Hummer.

In Los Angeles, one swallowed a fire truck.

When the last El Niño hit, in 1998, the mother of all sinkholes formed near the intersection of Interstate 15 and Balboa Ave. A drainage pipe burst from all the rain. This sucker grew. And grew. It was ended up being about 800 feet long, 40 feet wide, and 70 feet deep. It cost more than $4 million and took five months to fix it.

[andy3175]

http://timesofsandiego.com/life/2016/01/27/what-caused-huge-i-8-sinkhole-caltrans-blames-58-year-old-pipe/

Now we know what caused that big sinkhole along Interstate 8 last week: an old storm drain installed when Dwight Eisenhower was president.

Caltrans on Wednesday announced plans to fix the 20- by 30-foot sinkhole.

The sinkhole, which caused backups with several lanes closed, was caused by a 42-inch storm drain pipe installed in 1958 that separated from an elbow joint about 40 feet below the freeway.

Caltrans is developing plans that will install a new drain pipe adjacent to the existing one. The work will take place beneath the highway and will require minimal highway lane closures.