Massive sinkhole in downtown Ottawa

[Blackadder1916]

My initial (and somewhat sarcastic) thought when I saw the headline subject was "oh, something about NDHQ".

Massive sinkhole shuts down Rideau Street in downtown Ottawa
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/sinkhole-rideau-street-downtown-ottawa-1.3621949

CBC News  Posted: Jun 08, 2016 10:47 AM ET| Last Updated: Jun 08, 2016 1:38 PM ET
Mall evacuated, power out in area, police ask residents to avoid area where road collapsed

A massive sinkhole has formed next to a shopping mall in downtown Ottawa, causing a gas leak and forcing the evacuation of all nearby businesses.

The sinkhole appeared at about 10:30 a.m. ET Wednesday near the corner of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive at a light rail construction site. It's about two blocks east of the Château Laurier hotel.

Soon after forming, the sinkhole spread across the entirety of Rideau Street, stretching from the south sidewalk to the north sidewalk.

A large volume of water could be seen gushing inside the sinkhole due to a watermain break, but the water was soon shut off.

. . . . .

more at link

 

[ModlrMike]

You mean not just in the budget?

 

[jollyjacktar]

Just down the street at a conference today.  The place emptied after they announced it just before lunch.  Lots of empty seats this afternoon.

 

[dapaterson]

Official City of Ottawa info page: http://ottawa.ca/en/infrastructure-failure-rideau-and-sussex

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I told my colleague there that "Hot air will only sustain things for so long"

 

[Journeyman]

© Jean Delisle/CBC

Always a silver lining: at least it was an open street and not under a multi-story office building.

 

[brihard]

I struggle to think of a worse possible place to get a sinkhole in Ottawa... You've got a huge amount of eastwest traffic canalized through Rideau/Sussex, MacKenzie King Bridge, and to a much lesser extent Laurier. Rideau has the most capacity of the three, and with Sussex shut at Rideau you can't even effectively divert north to the parkway... Have they got a traffic diversion set up underneath the Westin or is the south turn off Rideao onto Colonel By cut as well?

What a bloody mess...

 

[George Wallace]

Always a silver lining: at least it was an open street and not under a multi-story office building.

At the looks of it, those foundations will have to be examined anyway.  I am sure that it is a major concern.

 

[blacktriangle]

Sorry guys, I missed my target by a bit. You know how it is...new technologies and all.

 

[ueo]

It was announced yesterday that the repairs were nearly complete in time for the Tres Amigos get together. One hole filled, two left to go.