Crews discover a sinkhole along county road in Bellefonte, Ark.

BELLEFONTE, Ark. (KY3) - Boone County officials received notification of a sinkhole discovered along Blackshire Road early Tuesday morning.

The sinkhole is approximately two feet in diameter at the surface but grows to about ten feet below ground. It reaches at least six feet deep. The sinkhole is located more than a quarter-mile from the nearest residence. The county narrowed traffic to one lane for a portion of the road.

Boone County Judge Robert Hathway says the road department’s biggest concern is with the nature of the hole.

“It’s on top of a hill and not down in a low spot,” said Judge Hathaway. “If it was down in a low spot I would suspect there was a culvert collapse or something. Being on top of that hill means there’s usually it means there’s something underneath it that’s collapsed and given away.”

Here is how they will fix it.

“We’ll knock it out and try to knock out the entirety of the circumference cleared out, make sure we’ve got it all out and the hollow spot filled in,” said Judge Hathaway. “We’ll get some large rock in there and work it with a backhoe, then come in and put some base on top of that.”

The road department will let the new material settle for a few days, then repave the road unless there are signs of additional sinking. The road department anticipates beginning work to fill the sinkhole first thing Thursday, weather permitting.

“We would have soil conservation look at it, maybe a geologist, just to make sure there’s not a cave underneath there,” said Judge Hathaway. “You’re in Arkansas and there are lots of caves and after years and years they just finally collapse.”

It is believed ongoing rainfall also played a factor. Fooding continues to be a problem throughout Boone County. Crews performed a second water rescue effort in the span of two weeks.

”Anytime we have these types of hard downpours, it’s a typical flash flood, they rise quickly,” said Harrison Fire Chief Marc Lowery. “So always be aware of your surroundings and be prepared for that.”

Lowery notified KY3 that a water rescue effort was underway near Bergman midday Wednesday.

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