Bridge on stilts to span pothole near Ironbridge
It's little more than three feet wide, but today it emerged that a bridge is to be built to allow motorist to negotiate this pothole on a Shropshire road.
The hole opened up on Boxing Day and engineers say they cannot simply fill it. Instead they want to create a bespoke bridge on the road near Ironbridge.
The scheme is the only way forward if the road between Jackfield and Broseley is to reopen.
It has been closed to traffic since Boxing Day, causing diversions for people trying to drive into Broseley from Telford.
A meeting was last night told there were complications linked to mining and that pothole simply cannot be filled.
Engineering geologist Colin Pitcher told members of Gorge Parish Council: "We have been trying to get this resolved. We all are minded it is causing quite a lot of traffic issues."
He said the site had been examined by the Coal Authority, which revealed the hole had opened up because of an old clay mine. The hole can be seen to expand under the Tarmac into a much bigger space.
"Filling the hole wouldn't resolve the problem," said Mr Pitcher. "It would add loads to the material which is settling under the road."
He said there are plans to design and build a bridge on stilts that would span the site area on top of which the road could be supported.
When the Ironbridge Road pothole opened up at Christmas, Priorslee motorist James Cawley hit it, throwing his Mini into the air and causing substantial damage.
Mr Pitcher said: "It is quite a challenging puzzle. We're looking at an unusual design where we build and bring a bridge that will span the site area, on top of which we would include the road."
Mr Pitcher said the problem was that the entire hillside next to the road was made of soft, mining waste.
He said: "The top eight to10 metres is effectively slush."
A contractor is now being sought and the work should be completed by the autumn.
It comes as it was revealed today that the number of motorists claiming compensation for cars damaged by potholes had gone through the roof.
Potholes are currently costing British motorists an estimated £730 million every year, with more than 1,500 pothole-related incidents recorded in January and February.
