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  • Part of the road collapsed Tuesday afternoon in the 2500 block of Lincoln Dr. in Clarksville. Officials at the scene said the collapse was due to a sewer line. Staff photo by C.E. Branham

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February 14, 2012

HOLED UP: Section of Lincoln Drive closed after collapse in Clarksville

By DAVID A. MANN David.Mann@newsandtribune.com

CLARKSVILLE — A section of roadway in the 2500 block of Lincoln Drive in Clarksville collapsed at about noon Tuesday.

Officials at the scene called it good fortune that no one was hurt. Fortunately, there wasn’t a vehicle on the road when the collapse occurred.

According to Tom Clevidence, director of engineering and stormwater operations for the town, a sewer pipe beneath the road had been leaking. Liquid from the pipe caused the road to destabilize and eventually cave in.

Clevidence said there’d been suspicion of a broken pipe somewhere in the sewer system but official had not yet been able to pinpoint its location. The collapse answered that question, he said.

The damage was done to the southern lane of Lincoln Drive.

Clarksville Town Council President John Gilkey said the road is down to one lane. As of Tuesday evening, he was unsure of how traffic would be detoured or how much it would cost to repair.

The town has engineers determining how much of the road and the pipe will have to be replaced in order to get it fully reopened, he said. The town’s wastewater treatment director had noticed an increase in pea gravel coming into the treatment plant recently. Gilkey said the collapsed pipe probably explains that situation.

For now, Gilkey has declared an emergency, which will allow Clarksville to quickly hire a contractor to make immediate repairs. He said he’d likely know more about a timetable for the work later this week.

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Esther Book, of Starlight, stems strawberries so they can be washed and prepared for the strawberry shortcake booth at the 34th annual Starlight Strawberry Festival at St. John's Church on Saturday afternoon.

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