Description

I met two Hoover Public Works employees this morning. They were inspecting the pothole that was previously reported by someone else. Report a pothole was the closest choice. The road issue is significantly worse than a pothole. On February 20, a water main ruptured under the street. Water poured out of cracks in the asphalt and rushed down the street for two hours. Then it erupted through the surface resulting in a 25’ to 30’ geyser. Eventually the Birmingham Water Works was able to stop the glow and repair the main. However, for several hours, the water gushed under the street scouring the roadbed. The water run down the street was carrying soil and gravel. Asphalt has sunken and heaved well away from the “pothole “. There is some damage about 300’ from the pothole. Imagine a 6” or 8” water main breaking and boiling underground for hours. That is the damage that occurred. I believe engineering will have to remove significant sections of asphalt to inspect the roadbed and rebuild it. Unfortunately, this is not a patch job.