WEST TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – Funkhouser Place in West Terre Haute has been a trouble spot for residents for years.
The road collapsed last week after heavy rains swept through the area, and a water leak was found in the area of the collapse.
The collapse comes as no surprise to residents.
Dawn Enochs’ West Terre Haute home is located on Funkhouser, and is right beside the spot of the collapse. This week has been a hassle for her and her family traveling back to town due to the road being closed.
“We still have to drive all the way around to the gravel road and back out to Haymaker,” Enochs explained. “And back up the gravel road and around.”
Shorts trips such as picking up the little ones from school seemed like a journey for Enochs.
The road is now back open to local traffic only. However, some problems still remain. Enoch explained that this road and some others in close proximity have been the focus of complaints from residents.
Rough patches in the road and areas where water can easily build up are concerning for residents. Enochs stated she’s heard horror stories about buses feeling as if they would tip over on some parts of the road.
“There have been multiple complaints that the road leans to the right really bad,” Enochs said. “The kids would say the bus felt like it was going to tip over.”
Currently, the trouble spot in the road is filled with gravel and will remain that way until crews can begin work in construction season. The gravel will allow for local traffic to pass through.
Highway Director Larry Robbins said that the plan was to fix this road and others in the area last summer. However, a sharp increase in the cost of asphalt foiled those plans. Robbins said that increase was about 30%.
“We had to back off some of our budget items we had last year and do the critical projects we needed,” Robbins said. “Unfortunately, this one got placed on the backburner.”
Robbins assures that a long-term fix is on the way. He said that Funkhouser Place is near the top of list of roads that they plan to fix this construction season. The goal is build from the bottom up.
The cost of the materials needed to fix the road will be around $10,000.
