LITTLETON, Colo. — A portion of Jackass Hill Road in Littleton will be closed indefinitely after collapsing in a sinkhole earlier this week, the city said.
The collapse happened Monday on Jackass Hill Road just north of Mineral Avenue. A car was caught in the sinkhole, the city said.
That day, public works crews discovered one of the 48-inch culverts draining water in Jackass Gulch under the roadway had collapsed. The second 48-inch culvert was still intact at that time, but as more rain fell, the sinkhole grew and the second culvert partially collapsed, the city said.
The city said a full closure of Jackass Hill Road at Mineral Avenue and at Curtis Court/Jamison Way will be necessary for several weeks. A pedestrian and bicycle detour route is in place.
The city said they were already studying the possibility of replacing the culverts as part of an improvement project planned for 2024. The design process was far enough along to use that information for replacement of the culverts now, rather than undertaking a temporary solution only to dig up the area again in a year.
The city said crews will begin replacing the culverts next week.
"The estimated timeline for full replacement and roadway restoration is unknown at this point but is likely to be many weeks," the city said in a newsletter. "The city thanks citizens for their patience as work to repair the damage will be done as quickly as possible. Motorists and pedestrians are asked to avoid the area as the situation is evolving and the sinkhole may continue to grow and remain unstable."
The heavy rain lately has been causing issues above and below ground -- flooding on top, and sinkholes underneath. In addition to this one in Littleton, sinkholes were reported Sunday in Parker and Elbert County.
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