Report outlines options to deal with South Sprigg sinkholes

A new report that looks at the city's South Sprigg Street sinkhole problem lays out two options -- either channelize Cape La Croix Creek with concrete or relocate it altogether.

The problem is that either plan would be costly and there's no funding in place to do either.

The privately commissioned preliminary report by Koehler Engineering of Cape Girardeau suggests lining less than a mile of the creek near the Mississippi River with permeable clay and then topping it with concrete. That is similar to what was done to channelize the creek upstream along Kingshighway. The reports says it would cost about $6 million.

The costlier suggestion, at about $12 million, calls for relocating the portion of Cape La Croix Creek farther north, away from the 30 or so sinkholes that have been disastrous for nearby business and city infrastructure.

In May, the sinkholes caused a portion of South Sprigg Street to collapse and has closed that section of crumbled roadway indefinitely. The sinkholes have jeopardized a city water main, an Ameren Missouri gas line and interrupted business and added costs at Buzzi Unicem, the nearby cement plant.

And the creek could be the culprit.

"The feeling is that the water going through that creek is exacerbating the problem," city manager Scott Meyer said. "We're looking for opportunities to try to do something -- not just fix what damage has been done but to mitigate the problem to stop the damage from happening again and again and again."

On Monday, the Cape Girardeau City Council is scheduled to vote on a resolution to submit an application to the Delta Regional Authority for funds. The Southeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission is preparing the application for the city. Chauncey Buchheit, the commission's executive director, said there's only about $1.5 million available in grants and that nearly 30 Missouri counties will be competing for them.

But whatever money the city does get has the potential to be multiplied because it could be used as matching funds to apply for other federal money, he said.

"It would give the city access to some other funding," Buchheit said. "It's going to be competitive and there's no guarantee we'll get anything, but we certainly want to try."

Buchheit said he intends to file the application this week and he should know if the city is getting any money by September. He still wasn't sure how much the city would be asking for, but he said it would likely be no more than $350,000.

"We know it's not enough money to correct all the problems down there, but it could be a good start," he said.

The engineering report looking at potential solutions was prepared for Buzzi Unicem. That business has been severely affected by the flooding this spring and summer, said plant manager Steve Leus. The water flooded more than two-thirds of their quarry and submerged their primary limestone crusher, he said.

While he prefers relocating the creek, he realizes money is a problem. Leus was not opposed to some form of a private-public partnership to help pay for mitigating the problem. But others are affected, he said, including the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, Ameren and the city.

"There are more people involved here than just us," Leus said. "There would have to be some money coming out of other pockets."

smoyers@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

South Sprigg Street, Cape Girardeau, MO