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June 23, 2015 DIXON | FLASH FOOD UPDATE
Collapse was ‘bound to happen’ Council unanimously authorizes emergency action for repairs BY BRENDEN WEST
DIXON – After spending 3 days assessing the damage at West Seventh Street, engineers say culverts under the road were so deficient and outdated that collapse was inevitable, with or without Monday’s flash flood. The city of Dixon is facing an emergency reconstruction project that will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Seventh Street will be closed for at least a month. Dixon sustained 2.8 inches of rainfall Monday, causing a flash flood and exposing infrastructural weak points south of the 700 block of South Monroe Avenue. With water pouring down hills into the low-elevation region, a nearby creek that filters through
a galvanized culvert under Seventh Street overflowed, causing houses in the vicinity to flood. The street collapsed around 8 p.m. Monday, opening a hole approximately 15 feet in diameter. A water main and shutoff valve both broke, a natural gas line was suspended, and the adjacent sidewalk collapsed, forcing street closure between Monroe and Depot avenues. Brian Converse, a structural engineer with Willett Hofmann & Associates Inc., said the creek flowed into an 8-inch diameter metal culvert under the street, allowing stormwater to continue north. The culvert, he said, was corroded at the bottom. “[The flood] was eating away all the material underneath that culvert,� Converse said. “It
kept sucking down, creating a bigger and bigger hole until finally it failed. ‌ It just created a lot of pressure at once, and finally everything just gave way.â€? Converse corroborated other sentiments in the city that neglectful maintenance of the road was a major factor in Monday’s incident. “Due to the age of the structure and its condition, it was bound to happen at some point, yes,â€? he said. The City Council held a special meeting Thursday morning with Willett Hofmann engineers and authorized the use of city funds to begin the reconstruction process immediately. Reconstruction will involve the Army Core of Engineers and Illinois Department of Transportation. Dollars for the project
Alex T. Paschal
Work crews and city officials inspect the damage to West Seventh Street on Tuesday morning following the torrential downpour that washed out the street, causing a partial collapse. In a special meeting Thursday morning, the City Council unanimously authorized emergency action for repairs, which could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
will likely be pulled from Rita Crundwell settlement funds or the city’s capital fund, Mayor Li Arellano Jr. said. He doesn’t want a Band-aid but a fix that will prevent another incident for the long haul. “Let’s get it done, and let’s get it done right,� Arellano said. The city will construct more sustainable concrete culverts at Seventh Street and nearby Ninth Street, which also expe-
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what outside funding options – such as grants or relief funding – might exist for Dixon. “I’m not optimistic in that regard,� Nord said. The situation, to him, highlights not just crumbling infrastructure, but the city’s issues with storm drainage. “The whole town needs to be reviewed for drainage, and have infrastructure that handles drainage,� he said.
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rienced minor failures. Starting Monday, nearby residents will have water shut off while construction crews begin their work. Council members voted 4-0 to authorize Interim City Manager David Nord and Finance Director Paula Meyer to take emergency action to fund the reconstruction. Nord said the city is acting quickly to address the matter. He is looking into
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