Long Grove Road Closed After Culvert Collapses
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A north suburban road has been shut down, after a culvert collapsed, opening a huge sinkhole in the pavement.
The gaping hole, blamed on this summer's heavy rains, stretched the entire width of Diamond Lake Road at Indian Creek Road. The pavement collapsed Friday, leaving the road impassable.
To fix it, crews will need to install a new pipe measuring 6.5 feet high and 14 feet wide. Lake County Transportation Division spokeswoman Brooke Hooker said it's not something you just pick up at Home Depot.
"It's not a pipe that exists, the size and scope of it. So we have to actually have it custom ordered, and so right now we're just researching the different options we have, and as of right now, we don't have answers on a timeframe," she said.
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The culvert already had been scheduled for replacement next year, but it deteriorated quicker than expected due to all the rain this summer.
"The pipes are 30 years old. They've been in place for quite a while, and they're starting to deteriorate along the water line. So what we believe happened is that deterioration allowed the creek to get behind the pipe, and undermine the gravel, and cause the pipe to collapse," said Assistant Lake County Engineer Al Giertych.
Monday morning, crews set up concrete barriers around the hole, as repairs will take at least a month, if not longer.
Giertych said officials feel very fortunate no one was hurt when the road collapsed.
"A sudden collapse like this, to lose the roadway, it would not be that unusual for this sort of situation, if people weren't aware of it, to drive right into it," he said.
Diamond Lake Road has been closed to through traffic between Route 60-83, and County Road V76. Vehicles should use Gilmer Road as a detour.
"[Diamond Lake Road] only has about an average of 4,000 vehicles per day, so it's one of our lower-traveled roads. So the detour seems to be working, and so there's a way for people to get around," Hooker said.
