Mystery sinkhole gobbles up part of Trolley Track Trail, Kansas City

The Watchdog | Mystery sinkhole gobbles up part of Trolley Track Trail CHRIS OBERHOLTZ/The Kansas City The sinkhole measures about 4 feet in diameter and about 12 feet deep. More News The Watchdog | Mystery sinkhole gobbles up part of Trolley Track Trail The Watchdog | Kansas Citian thinks hot line isn't so hot The Watchdog: Don't blame 'ghosts' for bad smell The Watchdog | Bicycle/pedestrian bridge is part of area's trail network The Watchdog | Sprint Center guard shack needs an upgrade The Watchdog | Why is there a mountain of dirt near Corporate Woods? The Watchdog | Camera can cause some confusion at Interstate 70 exit The Watchdog | Hot playground equipment needs a cool down The Watchdog | Interstate surface not so dippy anymore The Watchdog | I-35 exit signs fall to driver error The Watchdog | Gutter Buddies now gone on Woods Chapel Road The Watchdog | Which way to Leawood? The Watchdog | Loose Park's broken water fountain will be replaced The Watchdog | KC requires lawyers to change speeding to nonmoving offense The Watchdog | 'Stoplight effect' clogs traffic on 103rd Street near State Line Road The Watchdog | Library hours can depend on usage The Watchdog | Crosswalks near Plaza Library to get paint job The Watchdog | Throughout KC, leaks are running wild The Watchdog | Major project is under way near stadium The Watchdog | Should street near school have signs or a speed bump? The problem Why, asks John Peterson, can't Kansas City keep its Trolley Track Trail open? For two months, he says, the prettiest section, between Troost and Woodland avenues, has been closed by a sinkhole. "Whereas this sinkhole might be great for burying all The Dog's bones, it could easily be fixed with a culvert and a truckload of ballast," the Kansas City resident says. "But this hole is east of Troost, remember, so maybe we shouldn't expect any action." The answer This trail is maintained by the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, which says the repair is not as simple as it might look. "We think the 'sinkhole' may actually be the result of an abandoned mining operation from about 100 years ago, where the roof of the old mine has collapsed," said Cindy Baker, the ATA's marketing director. "This may explain why no material was found washing from the hole and why the cavern below the sinkhole is so large." The ATA has hired an engineering consultant to evaluate the sinkhole and see if similar problems could crop up on that part of the trail. It will be a few weeks, at least, before the trail reopens. "KCATA is committed to resolving the sinkhole problem and ensuring that there are no future such occurrences in this area," Baker said. "But the problem is more than simply backfilling a small hole and reopening the trail." The Watchdog and his cousins are blamed for a lot of holes around here. But he pleads "not guilty" to this one. Send e-mail to watchdog@kcstar.com or write to The Watchdog, The Kansas City Star, Newsroom, 1729 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108. Posted on Fri, Nov. 05, 2010 11:13 PM Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/11/05/2399459/the-watchdog-mystery-sinkhole.html#ixzz14YgnChbD   __________________________________________________________________   Easily grow your own vegetables anywhere .      Click here: Easy Victory Garden