Sinkhole on SE Oak -- the Water Bureau responds

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Sinkhole on SE Oak -- the Water Bureau responds - Printable Version - December 27, 2006 - 4 Comments

Yesterday a Bureau of Maintenance vactor truck fell through a sinkhole on SE Oak yesterday afternoon. The Portland Department of Transporation and the Bureau of Maintenance are the lead responding agencies in this event.

The vactor truck was responding in the neighborhood. Water crews immediately responded to shut down water service near a main break in a 6" cast iron water main that occured when the truck fell and to reroute water to customers from other mains. Everyone had restored water service by early evening.

We'll do our repair work as soon as it is safe to do so, but that may be a ways out. The Water Bureau has cut and plugged the main for about 50 feet in each direction of the sinkhole. Water crews estimate the undermined hole to be approximately 40 by 35 feet to a depth of 20 feet. Once again, we will be working in the "layer cake." The first layer needing repair is the sewer line. Then fill gravel will go on top of the sewer pipe. Then will come Water's turn -- replacing nearly 100 feet of water main. Then gas. Then the top layer, paving. Each utility takes it turn, working cooperatively to get the job done.

What we all responded to was the injury of the city employees. The Maintenance Bureau has worked closely with Water Bureau crews in recent weeks -- just as we always do. A vactor truck assisted in clearing debris around a main break on SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway in early December. We worked with the Bureau of Maintenance paving staff to repair street above a large water main break on SW First at the foot of the Hawthorne Bridge last week. In all of these jobs that we work side by side to complete, safety matters.

Public works: we work together. At this point gas, water, and sewer and city maintenance staff are working together to solve the problem in SE Portland before repaving.

At the end of the day may everyone go home safely -- having worked hard to preserve public health and safety.

Tricia Knoll

Public Information

Photo: Water Operations Mechanic Buster Georgeades took this photo yesterday at SE 16th and Oak St. He sent it in from his personal cell phone.

Comments

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Posted by: Drew Anderson - December 29, 2006 03:36 PM

That sinkhole is amazing, it would be great to see some more images of that thing.

Posted by: Bruce - February 10, 2007 11:06 AM

I heard that it fell back into the hole while they were lifting it out with a crane. Is that true? Were you able to repair the truck?

Posted by: Tricia Knoll - February 10, 2007 01:06 PM

I don't have the answer to this. Let me check with PDOT. this wasn't business as usual by any means.

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