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AUSTIN, Texas – Austin city crews have begun permanent repairs on the broken storm drain system that caused a sinkhole in downtown Austin.
What we know:
The sinkhole is located at 114 E. 10th Street between Congress Avenue and Brazos Street. Crews initially installed metal plates over the sinkhole as a temporary fix to allow safe vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
The sinkhole was caused by a failed storm drain pipe and the city says that about 30 feet of pipe needs to be replaced.
Crews were able to obtain an emergency permit last night as rainfall in the Austin area was less than expected. Utilities were also requested to mark their infrastructure so crews could avoid causing damage to water, wastewater, gas, fiber optic and electrical lines.
Crews were on site at 6 a.m. today and started preparing the site for repairs.
Impact on downtown Austin traffic
Why you should care:
Due to the repairs, there is currently no access from 10th Street to a parking garage on the northwest corner of E. 10th and Brazos.
Several parking spaces have also been closed in order for crews to do the repairs.
Metal plates will be placed again over the hole at the end of the day to restore access to the garage overnight.Â
The city says the permit allows traffic lanes to be closed if necessary.
What’s next:
The city says work will continue on Saturday and possibly into next week.
Repairs are expected to be completed before Thanksgiving, but that timeline can change depending on weather and other factors.
The Source: Information in this report comes from the City of Austin and previous reporting