'That's not safe': Road buckles on Chimney Rock, sparks concerns from nearby businesses

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Business owners say part of the road on Chimney Rock Road by the Southwest Freeway has apparently buckled, and it's been like that for a few days.

People who work nearby said it's been like that for a few days, and they haven't seen any city crews come out to fix it.

"Cars are running around here and there on the top of the bump, and that's not safe for the community," business owner Syed Ali said.

Houston's 311 system listed the problem as a street-condition case that's under investigation. But no official details have been released on what caused the damage to the road.

Over the weekend, someone took matters into their own hands. A man was seen walking into the street with a traffic barrel and placing it near the buckle to alert drivers.

According to 311 records, street conditions ranked among the city's top ten types of service requests over the past three months, with more than 3,300 reports.

"Right now, there's nobody over there and there's big bumps on this street that need to be fixed," Ali said.

People who work nearby said if it goes unchecked, they worry it could get worse.

"Safety hazards. I mean, we have the fire station down there, and this is like the busiest road definitely for them. So with them getting to and from here, that's the biggest thing is safety hazards. We already have traffic backed up on here all day, every day. So this is probably gonna make it way worse," said Jessyca Ross.

The City of Houston Public Works Department said it plans to start repairs on Tuesday if the weather permits. ABC13 is waiting for the department's response on how long it will take and if there's a bigger issue with roads buckling across the city.