Lancaster, OH sinkhole
© Matthew Berry/Eagle-Gazette
Weeks after paving crews left South Ewing Street, the city of Lancaster discovered a problem 25 feet below the surface.

When paving equipment moved out, excavation workers moved in after the city identified a large sinkhole just below the Ewing and Locust street intersection. The cavern under the pavement is about 30 feet in diameter.

"Luckily we were able to get on this repair before something catastrophic happened," said Mike Nixon, Water/Water Pollution Superintendent.

The fresh pavement on Ewing Street helped bridge the void, but there's no telling when it could have given way.

The sinkhole formed when there was a break in the line, causing the material above to fall into the pipe and be conveyed through the water. Over time, a sinkhole formed.

The problem was discovered when a resident reported water backup in a basement along the 1500 block of East Main Street following a significant rain event on July 22.

"That's an unusual call for that area," Nixon said, adding that it prompted an investigation that led to three points of excavation on Locust Street, one at the Ewing Street intersection and two other spots west of the sinkhole, where the sanitary line failed.

North and South Ewing streets were paved earlier this summer using state and federal grants to cover the bulk of the $1.1 million cost. And while it may be frustrating that a freshly paved street was torn up to make repairs, Nixon said there was no way of knowing that the line had failed prior to paving.

"We're not going to know of every poor condition out there," he said.

It's unclear how long the repairs will take or how much it will cost the city, but Nixon said it will be expensive considering labor, excavation, sanitary line repairs and backfill costs. Once that's complete, the area will need to be repaved and impacted curbs and gutters will need to be replaced.

The area on South Ewing Street will be shut down to traffic until further notice.

In Nixon's career, he said he's never experienced anything like it and will require great care to fix. Nixon said he won't rush workers because they need time to safely excavate the area.

"What we don't want to have is an occupational death or injury," Nixon said.