Two sinkholes on Ferry Street in Easthampton, Massachusetts, led crews to a broken underground pipe.
Here's what to know
As The Reminder reported, the sinkholes revealed a broken underground pipe about seven feet in diameter buried 20 to 25 feet below ground.
Greg Nuttelman, the city's Department of Public Works director, said fixing it could take several weeks, prolonging a disruption residents are already dealing with.
During an Oct. 7 Easthampton City Council meeting, Nuttelman said the first report from Ferry Street came in on Oct. 1.
After crews located the problem, they filled the hole, reopened the street, and kept the area under observation.
Nuttelman noted small sinkholes are a familiar issue in places with older infrastructure because joints and blocks below ground wear out over time. On a road like Ferry Street, where traffic is heavy, that deterioration can escalate more quickly as repeated stress turns a small issue into a much bigger problem.
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When a second sinkhole opened on Oct. 5, a closer look traced the problem to a broken pipe about seven feet in diameter connected to the old power plant. Nuttelman described it as a "pretty complex situation."
Because the damaged line is both large and deeply buried, Easthampton hired outside contractors for the job. Nuttelman said traffic disruptions are expected to continue while the work moves forward.
More background
A weeks-long disruption on a major corridor can affect commutes, deliveries, and access.
At the same council meeting, leaders dealt with strain in another part of city operations, approving a $9,540 transfer from the reserve fund so the auditor's office can put in extra hours to catch up on FY 26 work.
Mayor Salem Derby said a previous backlog was part of why the city's budget shortfall was not recognized and cannot happen again.
Both the underground failure and the financial backlog had the city spending time and money playing catch-up instead of making planned improvements.
City Council President Koni Denham also told the council that the attorney general had given the city solicitor more time to process information tied to an open meeting complaint involving the Town Lodging House at 75 Oliver St.
What's being done?
Because Ferry Street sees substantial truck traffic, Nuttelman said the department added extra fill at the site.
According to The Reminder, Nuttelman urged people to stay away from the area so crews can finish the work more quickly. Continued detours or delays are expected while the underground work continues.
Derby said city employees are "doing our best to make sure everything else is on track" as Easthampton works through both the Ferry Street repair and its administrative backlog.
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