After nearly 2 years, an environmental investigation has found that Riverside Road, particularly near Orchard Street, in Springfield, is sunken more than 20 feet below ground level.
City officials recently provided an update to work in the North End neighborhood where chronic sinkhole issues, have plagued residents for years.
According to a release from the city, the Department of Public Works began its study of the area's sinkholes in late 2023. Soil analysis and groundwater flow mapping hasn't been able to find the cause, but identified areas where possible "underground transport of materials" could be impacting the surface of the land.
Much of the roadway there contains key utility pipes — the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission closed parts of Riverside Road in January as part of an emergency water main repair. To further complicate matters, many of those utility pipes are part of the Springfield Flood Protection System, which is governed by the United States Army Corp of Engineers.
City officials with the DPW and Water and Sewer Commission are now working with that agency to determine what their options are for further construction.
In a statement, Mayor Domenic Sarno praised the investigation.
"The results of the geotechnical engineering study will provide DPW, the Water and Sewer Commission and the Army Corps of Engineers with the information needed to better understand the conditions of our utilities under the surface," he said. "...so we can develop a comprehensive engineering plan to maintain and enhance this vital and core infrastructure system."
Sarno also announced the section of Riverside Road that closed in January will re-open within the next few weeks.
