A `hole' lot of problems; Sinkhole closes Clinton's Main Street all week.

Byline: Jan Gottesman

CLINTON - Main Street was closed between Union and Church streets for a fourth day Thursday, causing traffic detours throughout the downtown area, but Superintendent of Public Works Chris McGown said he thought the road could open at night, beginning Thursday or Friday.

A sinkhole opened up in front of Tailgaters Grill Monday. Workers put up signs at 5 a.m. Monday after signs of a depression in the road were first discovered. By 6 a.m., the hole had opened up and swallowed the signs. No one was injured.

McGown said the problem was a culvert that runs over Counter Pane Brook. There were two collapses, one that probably happened during the winter, which caused a diversion of water, ending up with the second collapse Monday. The brook runs from Coachlace Pond, under Clinton Elementary School and through the Ash Street ballfields. When the second collapse occurred, the gravel from the road was sucked down into the hole.

The culvert is about six-by-nine-feet and has "tremendous water pressure" at this time of year, Town Administrator Michael Ward said.

After the collapse, the Department of Public Works crew dammed water from Coachlace and began trying to vacuum out the water and debris to try to get to the bottom, so repairs could begin, Ward said.

McGown said it looked like the system on either side of the isolated area appeared fine. The first break was the hardest to fix, and took until Wednesday. "We had to start from scratch, controlling the water. The second will be easier because we are all set up."

Selectman William Connolly Jr. praised McGown's "creative solution" to fixing the breaks, adding that his repair work probably saved the town a lot of money.

"When you stand over a hole long enough, you come up with creative ideas," McGown said, with a laugh, Wednesday.

McGown said the department knew of a four-foot gas pipe in town. Workers cut a slot in the top of the brick arch, cut the pipe in half and put first one half, then the other, into the culvert. Once the area was backfilled with concrete, the water was forced through the new pipe.

Businesses in the area were affected.

Dean Weeks, owner of Tailgaters Grill, said that although his restaurant was open, and people could park in the lot across the street, the hole was "killing my business." Signs posted during the week announced the restaurant was open for dinner.

Business was also slow at Dunkin' Donuts, although cars were able to access the coffee shop.

The mill buildings across from the restaurants were also affected, McGown said.

"They ended up with almost five feet of water in the basements," McGown said, adding, "Once the water found a channel to the diversion pipe, the level started dropping."

McGown hopes to be able to shut off the pumps before the weekend, so the road can remain open. Next week, the rest of the repairs will be done during the day, with the exception of paving.

The expensive operation will likely be paid for through the state's highway aid, usually used for paving.

"So the paving money will go right into a hole," McGown said.

ART: PHOTO

PHOTOG: Item photo/JAN GOTTESMAN

CUTLINE: Clinton Department of Public Works employees work to fix a collapsed culvert on Main Street this week, in front of Tailgater's Grill.