Journal-News.com

HAMILTON — An old hydraulic canal from the 1800s has led to a partial street collapse that has closed a downtown intersection indefinitely and could cost the city more than $100,000.

Public Works Director Ralph Reigelsperger said that Market Street was once a canal used to power industry in downtown Hamilton. When the canal was no longer needed, it was enclosed in stone with concrete beams supporting the intersections.

"They just kind of left those structures in there and built on top of them," he said.

A century later, corrosion of those beams has led to a partial collapse under the intersection of Market Street and Riverfront Plaza. Above ground, it looks like little more than a spiderweb of cracks in the asphalt, but underneath there's a 20-foot by 65-foot cavity, Reigelsperger said.

The road is not safe for truck traffic and has been closed indefinitely while the city investigates repairs, city officials said.

Engineering survey work is still being done on the road, but Reigelsperger estimated repair work could cost between $70,000 and $170,000. He said it will not affect the cash-strapped general fund because the street fund has a reserve set aside for "projects of this magnitude."

Reigelsperger said the city has no existing charts that diagram the structures under Market Street. However, the recent engineering work has revealed that there are four similar bridges under Market Street, but the other three are still in good shape.

The tentative timetable for the project has engineering work completed by October, construction by November and the road reopened by December, Reigelsperger said.

The city is hoping to have it reopened before the Courtyard by Marriott opens in the old Hamiltonian Hotel at year's end. He said trucks trying to reach the hotel during construction have been rerouted on other streets.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2190 or jrinaldi@coxohio.com.