Disruptions over as town centre sewage sinkhole repaired early
One driver said peeled up tarmac in Beccles "could cause damage to car tires." Photo: David Walker - Credit: Archant
Disruptions for drivers have ended as a sinkhole which opened in Beccles town centre has been repaired ahead of schedule.
On the sinkhole in Beccles, David Walker said: "It was strange as a service trench had remained intact." Photo: David Walker - Credit: Archant
The sinkhole, which appeared as cracks in the ground and caused the road to lift, appeared at the junction of A145 Peddars Lane and Ingate. on Sunday, October 6.
It was being treated as a top priority for Anglian Water, who liased with Suffolk Highways to re-open the road - but remained closed until Wednesday, October 9.
A Suffolk Constabulary spokesperson said they were called to Blyburgate after 12.30pm on Sunday to reports of cracks in the road and a drain which had popped up.
It appeared after the highest level of rainfall ever recorded in a single day in East Anglia.
Damage to the road on Ingate, Blyburgate. Photo: Rosemary Hewlett - Credit: Archant
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One driver said the peeled-up road "could cause damage to car tyres".
David Walker, who lives in Beccles, said: "The road had lifted up between three and four inches over maybe 20 yards and there was an issue with a drain cover there too.
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"It was strange as a service trench had remained intact and just over half of the road had lifted whereas I'd have expected the trench to have moved instead."
On Monday October 7, A spokesperson for Suffolk Highways said: "Suffolk Highways is working with Anglian Water following a suspected problem with the sewerage system beneath the carriageway which is causing the road surface to rise."
"Due to an increased number of flooding related enquiries following the recent heavy rainfall, we have asked Anglian Water to prioritise this site as a matter of urgency."
It thankfully transpired there had been no damage to the sewer pipe itself, but the sheer volume of extra rainfall in the sewer and manhole chamber caused water to seep underneath the tarmac,
Councillor Elfrede Brambley-Crawshaw announced she was pleased to see the work completed ahead of schedule and that the road would re-open by 7pm on Wednesday, October 9.
While the torrential rain has ended, Halesworth and the Chediston watercourse still have a high warning for risk of floods.
