Authority declares emergency after sinkhole reveals failing Old Ridge Road culvert

The Hobart City Redevelopment Authority declared an emergency for a failing culvert on the 300 block of Old Ridge Road after staff reported a collapsed section, significant scour and a sinkhole adjacent to the sidewalk. Field staff described a corrugated metal culvert that appears to have been in the ground for decades and has lost structural integrity, creating a hole behind the sidewalk that was temporarily stabilized.

Board members were shown photographs and on-site assessments describing a roughly 60–80-foot run of corroded pipe where one side appeared to be intact and the other had separated and deteriorated. Staff recommended engaging engineering services to evaluate whether to repair or replace the pipe and to produce construction cost estimates. Wessler had already been on site and staff recommended using their engineering services to develop a plan.

Given the road-adjacent location and potential public-safety risk, the board voted to declare an emergency and to solicit emergency proposals for engineering and construction services to address the culvert failure. Staff said they would ask the on-site engineer to develop a proposal quickly and aim to return with recommendations before the next board meeting if possible.

The board discussed traffic and staging constraints because the culvert is on a heavily traveled road and noted work timing may need coordination with an upcoming bridge project on Wisconsin Street. Several homeowners near the site had been contacted and staff reported preliminary cooperation from property owners where needed for access. The board approved staff solicitation of emergency proposals with motions carried.