Crews employed by BNSF Railway filled the sinkhole on railway property on 11th Street, between Laurel and Norwood streets in south Brainerd-thereby completing the project ahead of schedule, BNSF spokeswoman Amy McBeth told the Dispatch in an email.
The sinkhole formed underneath a decommissioned spur line, which is not on city of Brainerd property but is owned by BNSF Railway. A resident expressed concerns for the site's safety if someone was walking at night along 11th Street, a couple of blocks from downtown Brainerd. Shortly after its discovery, yellow safety ribbons were placed around the sinkhole to demarcate the site.
