Helper will repave sink holes – later

By John Serfustini
Sun Advocate Editor

More than a dozen sink holes in Helper City streets will probably remain unpaved for a few months.
City Council Member and Public Works Director Gary Harwood explained that many of the spots are too large to be patched, so repaving the affected streets is the only viable option.
However, it will be cheaper to wait and see how much more sinking will happen before laying new pavement.
Harwood told his fellow council members that the plan is to adopt a temporary strategy of filling in the holes with gravel so vehicles can use the streets. It may be a time-consuming effort for road crews, but at least it will be more economical in the long run than hiring a contractor to repave over an unstable base.
The holes began appearing this spring after a winter of heavy snow.
While the city has undergone extensive underground water and sewer reconstruction, there has been no sign of leakage from pipes.
The road damage is also spread out and not limited to an area where a single contractor had worked.