GLEN CARBON - The Autumn Glen sinkhole project in Glen Carbon was one in 2020 that turned from being one in need of substantial repairs to a success story on the part of village officials and the residents.
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In a reflection back to 2020, the progress in these subdivisions ended up as a positive, not a negative.
Rainy weather at times slowed the project down and created some fear of residents close to the sinkhole, but in the end, it was done to last a long time, said Glen Carbon Village Administrator Jamie Bowden.
The sinkhole began in Autumn Glen because of the metal pipe underneath the development that deteriorated, Bowden said. Bowden explained a culvert ran from village maintenance hall road to parts of lots 20 and 21 and across to lots 24 and 25. The problems were at the end of the Autumn Glen subdivision.
“We had a sinkhole open up in a large culvert that runs through the property on Autumn Glen Drive,” Bowden said. “The village did a hydraulic study to either replace the line and discover what the best design was to fix the culvert. It went out for bid and a contractor started putting in a liner. In a period of time, we discovered the pipe was close to four houses and we knew we had to stabilize the ditch embankments and put the pipe into them that would take the water through it. We also discovered the road wasn’t in great shape. It was a giant pipe that cuts under the road and it was probably 30 years old and very corroded.”
When the work was completed on the project the Village of Glen Carbon pave the overlay in the area.
Bowden said in the end, the project results turned out great.
""It was a long time coming and much needed," he said.
