LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB)-- Keith Maciver snapped pictures in the hours after it became real clear, real quick something was wrong, last weekend along East Breckinridge Street.
"The ground just opened up," Maciver said. "You know it's Kentucky, Corvette Museum, so we naturally thought, 'brilliant a sink hole,' we're going to wake up in the sewers in the morning."
Louisville MSD called it a cave-in. For the first time, the agency gave WDRB News an up-close look from under the street, and explained the issue that likely caused it.
"When the water gets rolling through there, which it's amazing how fast it builds up when it's raining, then if that one brick is out, it starts pulling at soil, and more and more come loose," said Sheryl Lauder with MSD.
Sewer service was not interrupted because of the cave-in. Neighbors, like Maciver, can keep flushing and showering without any issues. Still, neighbors are not happy.
MSD is working on a road cave-in on East Breckinridge Street.
"I'm always careful when I say I'm frustrated, because I feel like I'm blessed, I've got a good life, nice house, good wife, but that is frustrating," Maciver said.
Life as he knows it has been interrupted, and he said he knows this won't be the last time he hears about a Louisville cave-in or sinkhole.
Crews are working on another sinkhole at 15th Street, near Broadway.
"You and I may be having this conversation in 12 months for the road behind the house," Maciver speculated.
"It's a beautiful historic neighborhood, and it has beautiful old historic infrastructure," said Lauder. "So you have to refurbish and rehab that throughout the years."
The sewer line on East Breckinridge was installed in 1897, and the work to fix it for the next 100 years is underway, now that crews can safely get down there. They'll fix holes, and put an epoxy coating on the impacted area.
When the underground problem will be fixed, is still very much up in the air.
"Because work is just getting started," said Lauder.
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