OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – City officials updated the media on the Pacific Street sinkhole at noon on Wednesday.
Omaha City Engineer Austin Rowser, who also serves at the assistant public works director, said the cause of the sink hole is likely due to an underground pressurized water leak.
“Ultimately it comes down to erosion because all pavement as you know, it’s not built to stand on its own, it has to have the support from the soil underneath it,” said Rowser.
Rowser added citizens should not be concerned as this is an isolated incident. He says he’s not aware of any gas lines nearby or sewer lines near the collapse.
“One of the very important things on the repair side of it is that we make sure we find the entire void. Subsurface water can act in various strange ways. You can see a void but it could be connected by a small channel to another void,” Rowser said.
Tuesday night, crews were seen removing concrete from the sinkhole near 67th and Pacific streets.
Emergency personnel responded to the incident at about 3:30 p.m. No injuries were reported. Video from University of Nebraska-Omaha Public Safety security showed witnesses helping the drivers of the vehicles get out of the sinkhole.
On Tuesday, authorities closed Pacific Street in both directions between 66th and 69th streets. Northbound and southbound traffic was still permitted on 67th Street.
OPD said they expect those roads to be closed for several days. Lt. Dan Martin warned that it’s possible the sinkhole could expand.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Metropolitan Utilities District released a statement that it is too early to attribute the cause of the sinkhole to any single source without a full analysis.
We appreciate the City’s coordinated response and the collaboration that has taken place on site. Our shared priority is public safety and restoring infrastructure as quickly and responsibly as possible.
At this stage, however, it is important to distinguish between observation and causation. While a water main was observed flowing after the collapse occurred, that fact alone does not establish that it created the subsurface void. Utility infrastructure can be damaged as a result of structural failure when pavement and underlying soils give way.
Based on our review to date, we have no record of a prior leak on this main, no reports of pressure loss, and no operational data indicating a failure before the collapse. Additionally, initial on-scene reports indicated the excavation area was largely dry. If a pressurized water main had been scouring soil for an extended period, we would typically expect evidence of sustained soil saturation or surface manifestation.
We also recognize that multiple utilities occupy the right-of-way. Subsurface erosion events can involve complex interactions between soil conditions, drainage systems, and utility corridors. Determining the origin and duration of any erosion requires geotechnical evaluation, system data review, and a comprehensive assessment of all infrastructure in the vicinity.
We believe it is too early to attribute the cause to any single source without that full analysis. We remain committed to sharing information transparently and reviewing all relevant data so conclusions are based on engineering evidence rather than preliminary impressions.
Our focus continues to be system integrity, coordination with the City and OPPD, and ensuring the safe and timely restoration of the area.
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