Locals are furious after a road in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, has been closed causing traffic disruption due to a tiny hole with many claiming there are far worse roads needing repairs
Motorists are facing traffic chaos with an entire road closed for more than a week due to a sinkhole claimed to be the size of a 10p coin.
The blocked-off street in Cowes on the Isle of Wight is 79 metres long, more than 3,000 times the circumference of the actual hole. The local highway maintenance authority, Island Roads, said the closure is due to a ‘larger void’ beneath the road’s surface. Local Josie Parsons said there were far worse roads on the island that needed dealing with. She said: “Oh come on Island Roads.
“I know of worse roads than that 10 pence hole. Have you got no sense? The sooner your contract with the council ends the better, it can’t come soon enough as far as I’m concerned.”
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Another joked that the repairs may not be completed until Christmas given the rate at which roads are fixed. Dave Johnson said: “I’ve just spoken to Island Toads and they said they are waiting for an expert from the mainland to arrive to assess the situation.
“They expect repairs will be completed by Christmas.” One commentator said that he thought it was an April fool’s joke – until he checked the date. He said: “I’ve just checked my calendar. Thought this was an April fool joke. Or is that the council.”
Sinkholes occur when there is a collapse in the surface layer of the earth with the largest being in the rural Chongqing area of China which stands at 537 metres (1,762 ft) wide and 626 metres (2,054ft) deep.
Work to repair the Cowes sinkhole will begin on Tuesday after the road was first closed on August 18. It is expected to be closed until at least August 29.
An Island Roads spokesperson told the BBC: “The appearance of initially small holes of this nature are very often a sign of larger voids beneath the road surface.
“This was the case in this instance and following an inspection, the road was closed for safety reasons. The site has now been taken over by Southern Water who will begin significant work to address the underlying issue on Tuesday once the necessary parking restrictions have been issued.
“There are several very short diversions in place and, given there are only a few parking spaces in this section of road, we hope disruption to residents and road users will be minimal.” Southern Water said: “Our teams will start work on Tuesday to fix a section of broken sewer beneath St Mary’s Road.
“We are not able to say how long the work is likely to take until we have investigated further, but we will keep local residents informed of progress. We apologise for any inconvenience caused while we carry out the repair.” The Mirror has contacted Island Roads for comment.