by Mary Rupert
Holliday Drive in the southern part of Kansas City, Kan., is closed to through traffic near 65th Street because of a cave-in.
Unified Government Commissioner Angela Markley said a nearby mining area collapsed overnight, leaving an indentation in the road as it dips down to an open area underneath. It is not a gaping hole, she added.
The road is not safe for vehicle or foot traffic, she said, and she asked residents to avoid the road.
Usually there is not much traffic on Holliday Drive, which is south of the Kansas River, but some residents use it as a way to get to I-435, she said. This new road collapse means residents will have to find a new route, and it will probably take a longer time to get to highway access.
She said she would expect Holliday Drive to be closed for several weeks to a month, as the road’s safety will be evaluated, the extent of the damage will be determined, and officials will decide whether it can safely be rebuilt.
About 10 years ago, upper Holliday Drive was rebuilt after experiencing problems as a result of undermining, she said. An agreement was reached in 1999 between Americold and the Unified Government on rebuilding the road.
The UG and Americold worked together to fill some of the old mine areas with fly ash, to shore up the road, but there were still open mine rooms underneath that area, she said. Everyone always understood that there was still an undermining issue in the area, she added.
Commissioner Markley said the police have been asked to provide extra patrols in the area to make sure people stay out of the area, because it is unsafe.