City staff seek geotechnical testing after sinkhole appears on Airport Taxiway A

City of Hot Springs Airport Director Don Rolla told the board that visible sinkholes have opened at the main intersection of Taxiway A and staff is recommending a work order for geotechnical testing and administrative services to determine the cause and repairs needed.

The testing recommendation is tied to a proposed work order under the city’s master agreement with Garver LLC. "This resolution is for the repair of Taxiway Alpha. We have a sinkhole that has appeared in the main intersection," Airport Director Don Rolla said, noting photos in the board packet.

Why it matters: a sinkhole on a taxiway presents an operational and safety concern for airport movements and may require structural or pavement repairs, contingency planning and budgeted repair work. Rolla said city departments inspected the site and will dig with a backhoe next week to expose the subsurface and identify the underlying cause before finalizing repair plans.

What staff said: Rolla described two sinkhole locations — a primary and a secondary — and said the immediate work order would pay for geotechnical drilling, coring and testing of materials beneath the pavement. "The geo would go in and they'll do drillings, core samples of the area so we can see what the stuff is underneath the taxiway," he said.

Discussion and next steps: staff recommended approving the work order so geotechnical firms can complete testing and produce recommendations. Rolla said photos are in the packet and that the city will excavate the visible depression before geotechnical crews perform drilling and sampling. No formal vote was recorded at the agenda meeting; the item was presented for consideration at the board’s upcoming formal meeting.

Public records/packets: Rolla said photos are included in the board packet and staff will report findings after the geotechnical evaluation and excavation are complete.