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Investigation done, street reopens
By JOY DAVIS-PLATT
© St. Petersburg Times, SPRING HILL -- Mariner Boulevard, one of Spring Hill's main traffic arteries, came unclogged Monday afternoon. For more than a week, a stretch of the busy road that links State Road 50 to County Line Road was cordoned off because of the proliferation of dozens of sinkholes in the area. Geological surveys revealed Monday showed it was safe to reopen the road to traffic, officials said. "We were thrilled to be able to open up Mariner Boulevard," said Bill Appleby, director of county Emergency Management. "The residents in that area have been inconvenienced at best." Even as the remnants of yellow emergency tape blew in an afternoon rainstorm along Mariner Boulevard, residents along nearby streets rejoiced at the resumed quiet. "If I had wanted to live on a main road, I would have bought a house on Mariner," said Julie Spiro, who lives on Lake Forest Avenue, just east of Mariner. County Engineer and Public Works Director Charles Mixson said ground penetrating radar revealed 10 areas of concern, but only one significant anomaly -- a one-block area on Marysville Street east of Mariner. Larry Trinko was in good spirits just after county officials came to his door with news of a large void under the street in front of his home. His home is now flanked by the anomaly and a retention pond that is the site of the largest of the recent sinkholes -- 60 feet across and about 80 feet deep. "Statistically, this is probably the best place to be," said Trinko, who moved into the house 12 years ago. "Besides, there's not a whole lot you can do about these things." Appleby said most residents along the block are concerned by the findings. "They did seem to understand and accept the fact that we are going to repair the area," he said. "We suspected all along that there were probably more areas that we needed to be concerned with." Until the contractor fills the hole with a concrete mixture, Mixson said, there is no way to know exactly how large the void is. The cost will be determined by how much concrete the repair requires, he said. Appleby said he is hopeful that the Orlando-based contractor who performed the testing can begin filling the void by the end of the week. Meanwhile, officials will keep a close eye on the weather. The National Weather Service in Ruskin forecasts an 80 percent chance of locally heavy rain today. County staff will be available to investigate potential sinkholes. The phone number to call for help is 754-4083. Residents who suspect they have property damage as a result of sinkhole activity and who have had trouble with their insurance companies should contact the state Department of Insurance toll-free at 1-800-342-2762.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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From today's Hernando Times |
