The effort to drain the water from the sinkhole in the middle of a soccer field in Alton has started.
A pump has been running since Monday morning, a representative from the excavating company draining the hole told the Alton Telegraph.
Removing the water from the sinkhole, which formed in June 2024 after a limestone mine beneath the public park, is the first step the city government and mine company must complete to eventually fill and repair the massive pit. Video of the field collapsing went viral, and the city closed the entire park and nearby golf course for more than a month.
The city wanted the water to be drained so its contracted engineers could inspect the sinkhole and double-check the proposed repairs by the mine company, New Frontier Materials. It will cost $35,000 to $53,000 to remove the water, and it’s not clear who will cover the initial costs.
The excavation crew has also been removing turf around the sinkhole in order to build so the engineers can access it.
Late last year, Mayor David Goins compared the city’s progress on the sinkhole to a freight train. It takes a little time to build momentum and speed, he said.
“It's like the train is at the station,” he said. “The de-watering of the hole is the train beginning to move. Once they're able to do their readings and do their investigation into the sinkhole to determine if there's any movement, if there's any shifting in the sinkhole, that then gives us more momentum towards repairing the sinkhole.”
