Local

Huge sinkhole opens up in Broken Arrow neighborhood

A large sinkhole opening up next to a busy road in Broken Arrow had residents concerned, but they say repeated calls to the city weren't having much effect.

Frank Verrill, a homeowner who says the hole is on his property, decided to call KRMG and we sent a reporter out to investigate.

"It's 18 feet long - not counting where it's getting ready to break off there - and 13 feet wide, and at least what? Eight feet deep?" Verrill said, pointing to the bottom of the hole.

There's quite a bit of water at the bottom, so it's unclear just how deep the hole goes, and Verrill says neither the neighbors nor the city have a good idea of what's causing it.

It opened up a few weeks ago just southeast of the intersection of S. Olive Ave. (129th E. Avenue) and E. 93rd Street.

Broken Arrow did come out and put some caution tape around the hole at one point, but as it has continued to grow, a good part of the hole is now outside the tape.

Verrill says he's concerned about the children in the neighborhood.

"All we need, God forbid, one of those kids decides they're gonna get down in there and check it out," he said.

He added that the president of the homeowners' association called the city several times in recent weeks.

"He has called the city at least four times, probably five or six, and I know other homeowners have called, and we keep getting the run around, getting sent to different departments, and nobody wants to take responsibility."

But when KRMG spoke with BA Director of Communications Krista Flasch, she said the city was aware of the situation.

"The city is investigating exactly what it causing the problem so that we can properly fix it," she texted KRMG a short while later.

"There is a 27-inch sewer line in the vicinity, and crews will be conducting tests over the next couple days to see if the sewer line has collapsed."

She added that "plastic orange fencing will be placed around the hole in the meantime, later today it should be going up."

Verrill believes there may once have been a well or cistern where the hole is opening, and pointed out a piece of rusted, iron pipe jutting from part of the collapse.

He said he grew up in farm country in northwest Oklahoma, and "that's the kind of pipe they used to use in their wells and stuff."

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