Kent, Joshua D.

Louisiana Transportation Research Center

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This project measured and assessed the surface stability of the portion of LA Highway 70 that is

potentially vulnerable to the Assumption Parish sinkhole. Using Global Positioning Systems (GPS)

enhanced by a real-time network (RTN) of continuously operating reference stations (CORS), the

Center for GeoInformatics (C4G) at Louisiana State University (LSU) has collected the horizontal and

vertical positions for control points located along the Highway 70 corridor between Bayou Corne (in

the west) and Bayou Choupique (in the east). Measurements were collected between September 2012

and June 2013. Data has been processed and made available to LA Dept. of Transportation &

Development (DOTD) via an Internet FTP site maintained by C4G. During the report’s measurement

period, no movement attributable to the sinkhole has been detected on Highway 70. The GPS

measurements did exhibit variability typically associated with random and systematic error. In order to

capture more accurate, precise, and consistent positions, a permanent monitoring solution is

recommended.

US Transportation Collection

127-15-4144