Williamson County Map Shows Homes Directly Above Underground Cave

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — In the wake of an underground cave collapse that caused a portion of a Williamson County street to buckle and leave a gaping hole, officials on Wednesday released an aerial map showing the proximity of homes to the site's epicenter.

The map shows the location of the cave in relation to homes above it to an accuracy of within 10 to 20 feet, officials said. According to the map, a pair of homes are situated directly above the 200-foot-long underground cave but officials declined to reveal the structural integrity of either of the structures in the wake of the nearby street collapse.

Williamson County officials have since retained environmental and structural engineering consultants to study and review the collapse toward arriving at a street repair plan.

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A portion of Cambria Drive collapsed on Feb. 8 at around 3 a.m. near the Woods of Brushy Creek neighborhood situated between Highway 183 and Cedar Park on the west and Interstate 35 and Round Rock to the east. Officials said a leaking water line eroded the roof of the cave, disintegrating it drop by drop until it gave way and left a gaping sinkhole in the street.

The street collapse revealed the previously unknown presence of the cave under the road's surface. Residents reported hearing a loud sound akin to thunder during the collapse that left a gaping 20-foot-deep sinkhole where there once was asphalt.

On Monday, officials disclosed the discovery of a fourth underground chamber in the cave trail that was only discovered after the street collapsed. Three feet high, the newly discovered chamber is about 30 feet long, bringing the total length of the cave to approximately 200 feet. The length of the cave extends 200 feet eastward from Cambria Drive and is as high as 22 feet in some areas, officials previously disclosed.

>> Photo courtesy of Williamson County