Palatine's sinkhole could take two weeks to fix
It could take up to two weeks before crews completely repair a 15-by-20-foot sinkhole that opened up Saturday afternoon at Dundee and Hicks road in Palatine.
The good news, however, is that the Illinois Department of Transportation agreed to a request from village officials to resume southbound traffic on Hicks, which had been restricted most of Monday, Village Manage Reid Ottesen said.
“Traffic will begin flowing a lot better, but it's still an area to avoid if at all possible,” Ottesen said.
The sinkhole formed at the northwest corner of the intersection after the heavy rainfall caused a sewer line to collapse about 30 feet below the surface. Readings showed 5.43 inches of rain fell on Palatine between midnight Friday and 3 a.m. Saturday, exceeding 100-year event standards, Ottesen said.
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago spokeswoman Patricia Young said an emergency contract has been reached with Burr Ridge-based Sheridan Plumbing and Sewer to do repairs, but that could take 10 to 14 days. Workers first have to move gas and electricity utilities out of the way.
In the meantime, crews are able to pump around the collapsed portion, meaning there's no interruption in service to the area, she said.
Though the sinkhole is located on the side of the road, Ottesen said only the two easternmost lanes of Hicks can be used because nothing is supporting the pavement.
“We need to push everyone to the east for fear of a cave in,” he said.
In the event of an emergency, the Palatine Fire Department already has prepared for a technical rescue by taking precautions such as knowing the precise locations of utilities.
Ÿ Staff writer Tara GarcÃa Mathewson contributed to this report.