While contractors were rebuilding the man structure of Governors Stadium in Clarksville, Tennessee, a sinkhole began growing near the corner of the football field. Small at the start, now it could fit a bus.

This may not be big new in the US, where sinkholes are found every now and then, but even there the scale in this case is considered impressive. During ongoing redevelopment of Governors Stadium at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville a sinkhole began growing in mid-April, initially measuring about 1.5m in diameter.

The ground began sinking under the running track, just by one of the field’s corners. With the process ongoing, contractors decided to excavate it and find a solid bedrock to base a new filling upon. It turned out the sinkhole is 12 meters deep, enough to fit a bus.

Sinkholes are fairly common especially in places like Tennessee, where the ground has a lot of limestone (or other carbonate rocks). It’s a rock prone to karst processes that create underground caves. Once the cave cannot hold any more, it collapses and makes the upper layer sink into it.

In this case the contractor was prepared to face a sinkhole occurring, having a special portion of his budget set aside to remedy the situation.

Photo: News Channel 5

Photo: News Channel 5