Community Corner

Is This Next Highway 109 Hole Coming?

Another piece of Missouri Route 109 looks suspiciously like when the roadway started cracking, moving and sliding off the hill more than a year ago. This noticeable spot is in a different place, and would have to be evaluated by MoDOT officials.

Editor's Note:  When I broke the news about Missouri Route 109 cracking and then dropping and eventually closing for repairs, it all started with what looked to be a small crack alongside the road one unassuming Sunday evening. When another small crack caught my eye Saturday after Friday night's storm (not the that hit Eureka's Shaws Garden subdivision), I pulled over and started documenting.

A small area of Missouri Route 109 just north of has an odd cracking and caving going on. It is located at the northern end of a guard rail just past Emerald Forest subdivision and before Chestnut Bluff Road.

Cracking, especially on older highways, naturally is to be expected. But much of Route 109 was built hanging on the side of a huge hill, and seems to be capable of interesting nuances. It also was not created for the volume of traffic it now receives as a major thoroughfare for the and area.

Find out what's happening in Eureka-Wildwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

This new area of interest also has a gully of water feeding into it. One of the issues at the big hole last time was that a spring was running deep down underneath the road, making it challenging for the earth above to continue staying in place. From certain angles, the crumbling shoulder didn't look that threatening; from others, it did. (Disclaimer:  I am not a professional highway engineer.) What cannot be denied is how close to the passing traffic the hole is occurring. One also can see from the photos there is a second cracking happening at the spot that is a part of, or closer to, the driving surface. Common sense indicates that can't be good.

This breaking of the outer edge of pavement may be nothing more than crumbling shoulder, but Patch will share these photos with Missouri Department of Transportation to ask if they are monitoring the spot and have any professional opinions about it. Let's hope the woes of Missouri Route 109 repairs are not back!

Find out what's happening in Eureka-Wildwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

See previous articles:




Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Eureka-Wildwood