ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — People in south St. Louis County's Villanova neighborhood are frustrated by the slow response to fill a 15-foot sinkhole that has shut down a street for nearly three years.
On a busy weekday in south St. Louis County, there’s no traffic on North Villanova Drive.
“There’s definitely not going to be any right now because it’s been blocked off for almost three years at this point,” Luke Smith said.
The issue is hidden in plain sight.
“Having a sinkhole in your neighborhood is kind of unsettling,” Smith added.
Smith lives down the street from the hole. He said the hole is 10 to 15 feet deep.
“It’s a safety issue,” Smith said. “They’ve been coming here and checking things out, but nothing has been accomplished.”
Part of the problem is where the sinkhole sits.
“A lot of time was spent debating between the streets department, and the sewer department, as to who was responsible for finding out the issue,” Smith said. “It definitely complicates things that it’s right on the city/County line.”
St. Louis County plans to bid out the project this summer, with work to repair the area beginning this fall.
But Smith said they’ve been down this road before.
“I would love to have the street back,” Smith said. “They’ve been moving the goalposts every time. It’s been it’s going to be done next year, it’s going to be next month, it’s going to be done in six months. They keep changing things and not really updating us. I would love some concrete results soon.”
To watch 5 On Your Side broadcasts or reports 24/7, 5 On Your Side is always streaming on 5+. Download for free on Roku or Amazon Fire TV.
5 On Your Side news app