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Houston freeway sinkhole possibly tied to years-long ground shift
As TxDOT works to reopen the part of the East Freeway impacted by a sinkhole, a UH associate professor says the sinkhole may be tied to a years-long ground shift. He shares his research with FOX 26's Sherman Desselle.
HOUSTON - Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) crews are racing to reopen Houston's East Freeway near Federal Road Thursday afternoon following a massive sinkhole that paralyzed one of Houston’s busiest industrial corridors for more than 24 hours.
Houston East Freeway sinkhole
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The collapse, triggered by a City of Houston water main break, led to an emergency repair effort involving specialized concrete and fresh asphalt.
Officials say the goal is to restore traffic flow to at least some eastbound lanes by Thursday evening, once the new pavement is deemed safe to drive on.
"It’s definitely a rare occurrence," said Danny Perez, a spokesperson for TxDOT. "We still have to work with our partners in the City of Houston to see what may have caused this."
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Massive sinkhole on Houston freeway shuts down multiple lanes
A massive sinkhole on Interstate 10 in Houston has shut down multiple lanes. FOX 26's Jillian Hartmann has the latest.
Could it have been prevented?
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While the immediate fix is underway, researchers at the University of Houston are providing a startling perspective on the disaster and what caused it.
Dr. Pietro Milillo, an associate professor at the UH College of Engineering, suggests that NASA satellite technology may have detected the signatures of this collapse years ago.
Using satellite radar imagery, Milillo identified millimeter-scale ground shifts at the site dating back to 2022. While the exact timeline of the water leak remains unclear, Milillo says the correlation between the satellite data and the eventual collapse could revolutionize infrastructure monitoring.
His published research on the 2018 Morandi Bridge demonstrates how satellite radar can detect millimeters of ground movement to identify infrastructure risks long before a catastrophic failure occurs. The collapse happened during a rainstorm, resulting in the deaths of 43 people.
"If they can track down the water leak [to] 2022, this can be a signal that we can detect such things from space," Milillo said. "Right now, the sinkhole appears on a specific small part of the highway, but it would be imperative to monitor the surrounding areas."
What's next:
The City of Houston confirmed Thursday that the water leak has been sealed and no longer poses a threat to the I-10 corridor.
Dr. Milillo expressed hope that state agencies like TxDOT will eventually adopt NASA-funded monitoring on a grand scale, though he noted such implementation will take time. For now, TxDOT officials stated they are not currently monitoring other potential "hotspots", but assured the public the repaired section of I-10 will be safe for travel once materials dry.
The Source: TxDOT, City of Houston, previous FOX 26 reporting, and UH associate professor Pietro Milillo