Storm sewer breach blamed for Omaha sinkhole that swallowed vehicles
(UI) — A dramatic roadway collapse in Omaha that swallowed two vehicles has triggered a dispute between city officials and the local utility over what caused the sinkhole, according to reporting from Nebraska Public Media.
The incident occurred Feb. 24 at the intersection of 67th and Pacific streets when the pavement suddenly gave way beneath a pickup truck and SUV waiting at a stoplight. Both drivers were pulled from the hole by nearby bystanders and no injuries were reported. Crews spent roughly a week and a half repairing the roadway before reopening the intersection to traffic.
City officials and the Metropolitan Utilities District (MUD) agree that erosion beneath the pavement created the void, but they disagree about the source of the water that carried the soil away. Both sides acknowledge that a breached storm sewer pipe allowed the eroded material to wash into the drainage system, weakening the roadway above it.
MUD officials say their investigation found no evidence that a water main break triggered the collapse. According to Nebraska Public Media, the utility maintains that the only damage observed on nearby water infrastructure occurred after the roadway failed.
City engineers, however, argue that an underground water source likely contributed to the erosion that formed the void beneath the street. As reported by Nebraska Public Media, officials say soil erosion combined with a damaged storm sewer created a pathway that allowed material to be carried away until the pavement above could no longer support the weight of traffic.
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