It wasn’t Franklin Street, Roanoke Rapids Public Works Director Larry Chalker said, but a sinkhole at Long Park was about as worrisome following the August flooding.

“It was roughly about 100 feet by 12 feet,” Chalker said at the site last week, where Rightmyer Machine Rentals is working to fix the problem. “It wasn’t Franklin Street. It didn’t get as much exposure because it didn’t damage the highway.”

What it did do was nearly compromise the walking track at Long Park, which is adjacent to the T.J. Davis Recreation Center. “It put it in danger of collapsing.”

The work should be completed by the middle of this week and is one of several issues the city is working on in the aftermath of the flooding.

Chalker surveys the progress.

The drainpipe at the park was already compromised, Chalker said, and the floodwaters wiped it out.

The city is using reinforced concrete for the project and has pulled the original pipe out. “Then they can put the track and fencing back and hopefully it will be good as new.”

The duration of the rain caught the city by surprise, Chalker said. “I was surprised when it didn’t stop raining. After realizing the severity, I wasn’t surprised that the water was so very powerful.”

Parks and Recreation Director John Simeon is pleased with the progress. “It is a heavily used walking trail. It’s good to see that the construction is coming to an end and people can continue to use the walking trail at Long Park.”