Hole which has closed Shifnal road much bigger and deeper than thought
A "sizeable void" underneath a road in Shifnal has been there for some time with traffic only being supported by the thickness of the road surface, it has been revealed.
The hole on the Five Ways Island in Shifnal appeared about a week ago – but the void beneath the road could have been there for much longer.
Shropshire Council went out to repair the issue, but found that it was a bigger problem than anticipated.
Graham Downes, Shropshire Council’s highways manager south, said: “Investigation uncovered what is a sizeable void under the carriageway surface.
“This will take more than one day to rectify, especially as the depth of the old road surface is around 500mm which will take time to break out.
“We still are unsure as to what is the cause of the void is, but it is likely that the hole has been there for some time and the depth of the macadam at the site had provided a bridge to carry traffic weight.”
Road closures have been in place after the hole opened up in the carriageway around the island. After the hole appeared on August 30, workers were sent to the site for emergency repairs.
The cause of the hole has not been determined and further investigation work will be carried out.
The work has caused some issues for motorists, as it affects traffic coming into Shifnal from the direction of Bridgnorth via the A4169 and also traffic coming from the M54 via junction four and heading into the town on the Priorslee Road.
