Part of Nashville's Division Street collapses amid construction, drivers asked to avoid

A hole in the ground has gotten larger after one lane of Division Street collapsed Tuesday afternoon amid ongoing construction in the Gulch.

Nashville Department of Transportation said the road, at the intersection of Magazine Street, was down to one driveable lane, though that could change.

"Drivers are asked to avoid the area. Engineers are en route," the department said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. "This is a developing situation and more information will be forthcoming."

The road was already down to one lane in each direction while crews work on a new residental building at 915 Division Street. A photo posted by NDOT shows a chasm of crumbled earth and asphalt creeping in on the eastbound lane of traffic, threatening further collapse.

Metro Department of Codes and Building Safety said they issued a stop work order at the construction site at about 1:45 p.m.

The order will remain in place until the site is stabilized and the issue is resolved, the department said on X.

It's not the first time Yates Construction, the contracting company attached to the project on Division, has been issued a stop work order. In December 2022, Metro Codes issued an order after the foundation for a crane cracked, causing the crane to lean several inches at a site on the corner of Divison and Overton Streets, about 300 feet from the collapse Tuesday.

Metro Council member Jacob Kupin, who represents district 19 where the collapse happened, said he's had continued complaints about the builder.

"Development can be positive, but not at the expense of our local communities," he said on X.

The project at 915 Division Street abuts Terrazzo, a 14-story collection of condominiums built in 2009.

Metro records show at least 15 complaints of noise violations have been filed about the 915 Division Street property since Summer 2022.

In a letter to the Metro Codes Department in September 2022, Yates Construction representatives pledged to "reasonably avoid performing any loud construction activities such as blasting, demolition, etc. outside of the specified working hours per our permits."

Yates Construction did not immediately respond to requests for comment on this story.

The site will be home to Society Nashville, which will feature more than 500 residential units, a pool deck, gym and fitness studio, co-working lab, restaurant and bar. It was originally set to open in Spring 2024, according to Property Markets Group, the management company.

This is a developing story. Check back for more details as they become available.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Lane of Division Street collapses near the Gulch amid construction