LITTLE ROCK, Ark – A collapsed retaining wall up against Interstate 630 traffic is drawing some concern from drivers.
The damaged section is 100 feet wide on the westbound side of the interstate just below the Pine Street exit.
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Much of the collapsed wall currently rests against bowing metal supports. Some bricks had spilled onto the shoulder before the Arkansas Department of Transportation moved them to the other side of the guardrail, with caution cones still marking where they were.
According to ARDOT, the damage was caused by heavy rain saturating the ground behind the wall and pushing the wall out until it crumbled.
One of the drivers passing the spot almost every day is Tuesday Staley. She said she first noticed this retention wall collapsed weeks ago.
“It’s an Interstate, so people are hauling back and forth, and with that being all along 630, when is the next piece going to fall?” Staley asked.
ARDOT said what makes this section different is a dip in the road above the wall caused by a failure of the subbase, the material between the concrete and soil.
When asked how much time there was between the subbase and wall failures, ARDOT Media Communications Manager Ellen Coulter said, “The best we can tell is that water has likely been infiltrating the subbase for years and the pressure finally forced the failure.”
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Coulter said geotechnical engineers are developing a repair plan.
“The main issue with saturated ground is the fact that it puts pressure on the retaining wall. That is the more immediate concern. But we can’t say there is no risk of a sinkhole,” said responding to a text.
“Get ahead of the game don’t let it happen anywhere else,” Staley said.
She purchased a new car just before the wall collapsed and says it has been “scary” seeing the debris so close to the road.
“The last thing I want to do is have a wreck right here close to my house,” Staley said.
When asked if this type of road failure contributing to the collapse is something they can routinely inspect, ARDOT officials said, “It will be monitored on a regular basis.”
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ARDOT could not answer how many miles of this wall are along the interstate, adding it was constructed in the mid-1990s.
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