Auburn hires engineer after sinkhole swallows 80 tons

AUBURN – The Auburn City Council approved $46,000 for  JEO to engineer the replacement of a drainage culvert that goes under the El Portal Restaurant.

City records say a 2023 study shows the culvert is irreparable and a culvert that goes around the restaurant is needed. Councilwoman Katy Billings said the J Street culvert replacement qualifies for tax increment financing.

Original story: 2018 News Channel Nebraska

AUBURN – A sinkhole in Auburn has swallowed over 80 tons of rock and is still not filled.

 Lois  Lopez, manager of El Portal Restaurant, said he has never seen anything like it around here.

 

 

Lopez: “Well, we just showed up here to work and got a call from my guys that a truck got stuck. I thought it was small hole, but it ended up being pretty big hole, probably 30 to 15 deep.”

He said the truck driver initially thought he had a flat tire, but soon realized the ground had collapsed beneath two axles.

Lopez said the cause of the sinkhole is a mystery. While there has been plenty of rainfall lately, the sinkhole is not in a high volume drainage area.

After Lopez published photographs of the sinkhole, a local farmer offered to help out by hauling the rock.