Published: May 22, 2008 08:13 pm      

B.C. paving way for mysterious manhole repairs

By Tommy Mann Jr.

The Orange Leader



BRIDGE CITY — While the Southeast Texas community of Daisetta is still grappling with a giant sinkhole that mysteriously appeared earlier this month, Bridge City officials are turning their attention to their own unexplainable opening in the earth — albeit a much smaller concern.

According to Mike Lund, assistant superintendent of the Bridge City Water and Sewer Department, the hole was first noticed more than a month ago at the intersection of Bland and Roberts near the Bridge City Fire and Rescue main station.

“Over a period of time, the ground eroded from underneath the manhole here at the intersection,” Lund said. “But it has progressively become worse over the last two months. When we found the initial hole in the road, it wasn’t very wide, but it was about four feet deep, so we put up a barricade because we didn’t know what would happen.”

Lund said a barricade was installed as a safety precaution, which blocked off a segment of Roberts Street from traffic traveling towards Texas Avenue.

The problem spot in the roadway became worse when the manhole section began to cave in earlier this week, which led to the water and sewer department’s decision to call in a contract crew to assist with repairs.

Jerry Jones, city manager of Bridge City, said a six inch water line which was leaking also contributed to the problem. Since the repairs would include removing and installing a new manhole, the city had to hire an outside contractor to assist with the job.

“We brought in a contract crew because we didn’t have the size equipment we needed to make this repair,” Jones said. “Prior to (Thursday’s) rain, most of the water had already dried up. The work crew just had to repair the water line and begin filling in the hole and placing the new manhole.”

Lund said he believed the repair job would be completed sometime Friday, and then the road would be resurfaced at a later date.



Reach this reporter at 409-883-3571, Ext. 2619 or tmann@orangeleader.com