Texas Hill Country News

Cave Opens Up & Swallows the Road in Round Rock Neighborhood

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Tony Maples Photography

 

As kids, many of us probably fantasized about having a secret cave of wonders in our backyard or the nearby woods. Those childhood flights of imagination made for thrilling daydreams. What happens, however, when a cave opens up in front of your house in reality? As a grown-up, you might find the experience more of a headache than an adventure. For a few residents of a Round Rock neighborhood, that’s exactly what happened back in Feb. 2018.

Round Rock cave

Photo: Facebook/‘Round the Rock: Activities & Events in Round Rock, TX

The discovery of the cave came after a sinkhole appeared in the Brushy Creek area of Round Rock. When county officials arrived at the residential area to investigate, they discovered the sinkhole was the result of a cave ceiling collapsing. They soon learned the cave extended outward some 170 feet farther and that its ceiling reached over 20-feet high in some places.

The mysterious cave was a nuisance for residents, since 10 homes in the area had their water services disrupted due to the event. Several natural gas lines were also exposed. Of course, with the occurrence in a residential area, structural engineers and environmental scientists were sent to investigate.

Cave opens under road in Road Round
Photo: Facebook/‘Round the Rock: Activities & Events in Round Rock, TX

County officials and other engineers explored down below and discovered several more chambers. Plans are being discussed for how to fill the gaping hole.

The Lone Star state boasts around 3,000 known caves and sinkholes. There are numerous well-explored caves in the Brushy Creek area, but the discovery of a possible cave system in a residential location came as a surprise and an annoyance to many homeowners.

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