There will be road closures near the intersection of Sycamore and Church streets in Decatur while MARTA evaluates a sinkhole near the Decatur station.

The closures will begin today, April 6 and last through Saturday April 11, between 9 am and 4 pm.

The city posted the announcement on its Decatur Minute blog, but the post doesn’t say what the “subsurface testing” is about. Decaturish followed up and the city sent over the permit and traffic control plan for the project.

According to the project description:

“The first field activity to be conducted will be dye testing. The existing sinkholes along Church St and in the sidewalk on the east side of Church St will be tested by discharging dyed water into the sinkholes. A lane closure of the south-bound left turn lane in Church St will be required so that a water truck may be allowed to park near the sinkhole in the street and discharge the dyed water. Dye testing in the sinkhole at the sidewalk will be completed in advance of this investigation program, as plans are currently underway to backfill that sink hole with flowable concrete fill. The sidewalk sinkhole repair will be part of ongoing activities being undertaken by Town Square condominium. Following the discharge of the dyed water into the sinkholes, the water levels must be monitored; therefore no other investigation activities will be conducted simultaneously with dye testing. The existing sinkholes along Church St and in the sidewalk on the east side of Church St will be tested by discharging dyed water into the sinkholes.”

Here are the documents provided by the city of Decatur …

Investigation and Traffic Control Plan rev4 MARTA Church St ROW Permit_4.2015