Frustration over months of ongoing sinkhole repairs

A sinkhole has halted traffic in a busy area of Manchester causing months of frustration for residents and commuters.

Part of Alan Turing Way in east Manchester was closed in March and there are no signs of it reopening any time soon.

The northbound section of the road between Ashton Old Road and Grey Mare Lane has been coned off with Manchester City Council conducting investigative works that are yet to be completed.

Newton Heath resident David Carey said he tries to avoid using the route during rush hours and even when he uses it in off-peak hours to visit family, a 20-minute journey takes more than an hour.

The council said it was taking time to ensure public safety and called for patience.

It is expected the work to fix the sinkhole would take a considerable amount of time, given its size, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

Carey said the traffic lights to get towards the junction where you can get to the diversions causes a large tailback.

The 59-year-old Manchester City supporter said with the football season restarting, traffic around the Etihad Stadium will become unbearable at weekends, as well as weekdays.

He added: "It's getting darker and we are diverting traffic to get around this. The potential for a road traffic accident increases significantly."

He told the LDRS: "I appreciate the reason for the closure as it was a big sinkhole. But we are now more than 165 days, and counting, and we have not even got the completion of the study. No one knows how long it will take.

"There has been no update provided to the public. The council said work will continue into the autumn. There should be a timetable."

Carey said Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell had been in touch to say she had been in contact with the council over this issue. He said she told him she was given an estimate of completed works by the end of October.

The council said it was taking time to ensure public safety and to futureproof the road and called for patience on the project.

Highways bosses explained the investigation has been particularly complex due to the nature of the cavity beneath the road.

Specialist ground investigation contractors have been required to help establish its root cause, lengthening the timescale for carrying out the repair.

The local authority said the excavation at Alan Turing Way is approximately 6.4m (21ft) by 6.3m and extends around 6m below ground level.

It is understood specialist contractors have drilled 50m below the road surface to help engineers fully understand the ground conditions and develop the most appropriate long-term repair solution.

The council has not detailed whether a different route diversion or whether they could move some traffic to the southbound carriageway.

Councillor Mandie Shilton Godwin, executive member for clean air, environment and transport, said: "We entirely understand the desire from residents to see Alan Turing Way reopened but first and foremost we have to put their safety above all other considerations.

"The void, which was discovered under the road, has presented a complex set of challenges both in terms of additional investigation and creating a plan to repair the road.

"We are working with a specialised contractor to carry out the investigatory works and come up with a lasting solution that will prevent similar events happening in the future."

"This however, is taking time and we acknowledge the disruption this is causing for local residents. We will do our best to keep them informed when we have new information on the road."

She added: "I would like to thank them for their ongoing patience."

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