Commuter Alert: Road Partially Reopens But Sinkhole Repairs Continue

Westbound Alvarado Boulevard in Union City partially reopened Wednesday morning, but repairs continue on a large sinkhole that opened at a major intersection last week, city and Union Sanitary District officials said today. One lane is open in each direction on Alvarado Boulevard between Fair Ranch Road and Fredi Street, but drivers should expect some continuing traffic delays in the area, Union City spokeswoman Lauren Sugayan said.

Work crews had initially hoped to have completed repairs to the sinkhole by now. It was developed as an approximately 10- by 12-foot hole at Alvarado and New Haven Street Wednesday afternoon and later excavated to around 25 by 25 feet, according to city officials. But Union Sanitary District officials now say repairs will take longer than expected after an inspection over the weekend revealed that damage to a sewer pipe located around 20 feet underground was worse than they realized.

The pipe was broken in two different places, about 20 feet apart and the shifting ground damaged a manhole. Repair efforts have been slowed by soil conditions and a high level of ground water, sanitary district officials said. The sinkhole also flooded shortly after it developed when a water main broke due to the shifting ground, and work crews could not reach the sewer pipe below it until the water main was repaired.

The cause of the sinkhole remains under investigation, and sanitary district officials said they do not know when repairs will be completed.

By Bay City News

Photo of repair work on Oct. 16 courtesy Alameda County Water Department