Sinkhole-damaged Plant City road to reopen by late March

A section of southbound Timberlane Drive closed by a sinkhole should reopen by the end of March, officials said.

The city recently awarded a bid to Hayward Baker Inc. for repairs to southbound Timberlane between Silverwood Drive and Silver Meadow Way. The project will cost the city $187,875, City Manager Greg Horwedel said.

"Our intention is to get these repairs made as soon as possible," City Manager Greg Horwedel said.

Timberlane is a major road through Walden Lake, the city's largest subdivision with more than 2,000 homes.

The city has been plagued by sinkholes since growers pumped millions of gallons of water to protect their crops from frigid temperatures in early January. Eight city roads were impacted by sinkholes or depressions, and a 500,000 gallon water tank was drained after two depressions opened near it off National Guard Drive.

Here's a rundown of the status of the roads and tower:

A southbound section of Alexander Street near Interstate 4 was recently temporarily repaired with steel plates that span a depression. The city plans a permanent fix in the near future.

A 30-foot diameter sinkhole at 3804 Creek Way Court has been partially filled to protect the street from erosion and to support utility lines buried there. Horwedel said the homeowner's insurance company is communicating with the city on the permanent fix.

The sinkhole at 4020 Kipling Court has been filled but left unpaved, waiting for a geotechnical evaluation. The road is open to traffic.

A sinkhole and depression at 4008 Concord Way is barricaded, closing the road to through traffic. Homeowners can reach there properties from opposite ends of the road.

A depression at 3341 Silvermoon Drive is barricaded, blocking one lane to traffic.

A sinkhole at Mobley and Risk streets has been filled and barricaded. Both streets remain open to traffic.

A depression that was first seen last year between the sidewalk and a residence at 3221 Azalea Blossom Drive is being watched by the city, Horwedel said. The road remains open.

The city is asking state and federal agencies for help paying for the almost $3 million needed to repair damages sustained by these sinkholes.

Horwedel compared the sinkhole damage to the 2004 hurricane season that created a lot of tree damage, blocking roadways as four storms raced through the area in a matter of months.

"The city was reimbursed in timely manner for almost $1.5 million following the 2004 hurricane season," Horwedel said. "Most of the city expenses were in removing debris on city and neighboring county roads. But FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and the state were active in proving funding to do the work. This time around the response has been very slow, in spite of the increase in damages."

Other than the Timberlane project the city does not have a projected completion date on the other road repairs.

"Each project will be taken on a case by case basis," Horwedel said. "They depend on geotechnical findings, funding available and the bidding process."

Officials continue to study the city's options for the drained water tower. Frank Coughenour, the city supervisor of water treatment services, said the tank remains out of service as Madrid Engineering studies the area near the tank.

"The depression closest to the tank is about 40 feet wide and about 3 feet deep. It is about 60 feet away from the standing water tower. That depression has been filled as we wait for the study to be completed. A second area, about 150 feet away from the tank is 7 or 8 feet in diameter and about 5 feet deep. Preliminary tests suggest there is a sizeable subsurface void in this area."

The city is contemplating its options if tests show the water tower needs to be replaced with a ground level tank or removed from service all together.

"We will soon know what our alternatives will be," Coughenour said.