After months Large -scale sinkhole A big incident happened in SurreyA network of Underground Victorian Tunnel Close to the site is discovered.
Quiet Surrey villages of Godstone It was said that “get out as soon as possible” A huge pit On February 17, a road swallowed overnight.
More than 30 houses were vacated Sinkhole rose to 19 meters In length, open one day after each other.
Engineers working to repair the hole have now confirmed the discovery of abandoned sand mining tunnels around the site, which can “provide a clue” due to havoc.
Infrastructure Manager Lloyd Allen at the Surrey County Council told the BBC: “Currently, we are investigating the Victorian tunnels, plotting them to see their limits and where they go.
“We will probably end up to the early part of December, but there are a lot of re -adding services and re -connecting the main, gas mens and electric cables of water.”
She told the broadcaster that the search for eight-meters deep tunnels “puts a piece in place” on why the hole was opened, but said “there were many landscapes that could have been that could cause this collapse”.
In February, an expert suggested that the incident may be related to the collapse of the abandoned sand mine.
Andrew forward, the British geological survey (BGS) The regional geologist for Southeast England said that the old maps of the area published in 1872 appeared showing an entrance to a sand mine.
“It is possible that there were other unfamiliar sand mines in the region,” said Farrant. “It is also possible that a leaked pipe has weakened the rock and led the failure of a cyst mine, assuming that it exists and extended below the road. Equally, it is possible that the gradual failure of the roof of a mine fails the water mainly, causing the water to trigger further yield.”
While engineers say they hope that the repair will end by December, local businesses told the BBC that they have been “left in the dark” on repair plans “.
The owner of a business said that his income had reduced to one third which was once due to synchron.
A garage on High Street said, “They said that they will keep us up to date, but it has not happened.”
“We need to know. It will benefit everyone in the region.”
Will McLean, the owner of a residential Windows and Doors Company, explained how Sinkhol had “almost reduced to zero”.
“It has been on a large scale, financially,” he said. “In terms of business, we are 60% to 70% below, which is actually very large.”
Cabinet members of Transport and Economic Development at the Surrey County Council, highways Matt Fernis, said, “This remains a highly complex phenomenon, including several investigations led by our highway authorities and other agencies, including expert teams and utility companies.”
“We are continue to update local residents and businesses because we progress through each stage of the process. We are also seeing how we can reduce the impact on local businesses, while during the necessary road closure.
“There is a need to continue to understand the cause of collapse perfectly and how we repair the area completely and later. We hope that the road is expected to be opened again during December this year, but our attention will be on ensuring that the road is safe to use, so once we are fully assured, the accurate date will be confirmed.”
