New sinkholes won't affect South Sprigg bridge project

Sinkhole activity on South Sprigg Street in Cape Girardeau has caused headaches for the city and local businesses for several years. A section of the street has been closed since 2013 after a large sinkhole collapsed part of the nearby street, and another sinkhole formed near the base of the bridge, rendering it impassable.

Now there are two more.

The new sinkholes did not come as a surprise to city engineer Casey Brunke.

"They happen every time it floods," she said. "Once they started opening up, we expect them now every time it floods."

The flood also expanded some existing sinkholes.

A nearly $4 million project is planned for this year to repair the bridge on South Sprigg, three years after it closed. The new holes, however, are unlikely to affect the planned repairs because they were not within the bridge area, and the span of the new bridge will be long enough to remain unaffected, Brunke said.

"We've done all the geotechnical investigation to determine where the sinkholes are in the bridge area," she said. "We found a couple sinkholes that haven't opened up yet, and our bridge design takes them into account."

In 2014, the city received federal funding for a study to find whether the street could be reopened. Engineering firm Horner & Shifrin determined a new bridge could be built near the existing structure by digging to the bedrock and building the frame from there.

"We will be doing spread footing for the foundation for the bridge piers," Brunke said. "What that means is we will actually dig down and see the rock that we're putting those piers on."

Unlike the current bridge, which spans Cape LaCroix Creek, the new bridge will be longer and take up land north of the creek.

"We're hoping to span the sinkhole area so that if new ones open up, hopefully they won't damage the bridge," said Brunke.

The city is scheduled to start taking bids on the project in the fall, so construction may start in late fall or early winter, barring future floods or other natural disasters.

The closed road has caused transportation problems for businesses such as Buzzi Unicem and the Cape Girardeau transfer station. The new bridge should alleviate the problem, Brunke said.

Brunke discourages people from visiting the area to see the damage for themselves.

"It is still an active sinkhole area," she said.

bbrown@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

South Sprigg Street at Cape LaCroix Creek, Cape Girardeau, Mo.