Skip to main content

A sinkhole in St Albans near London swallows up the road

Around 20 residents of St Albans, a town near London, were evacuated after a huge sinkhole appeared overnight. The hole, 20m in diameter and 10m deep, cut right across at the road and well into an adjoining garden, leaving one family’s car stranded on the driveway. Residents are said to have heard a crash before the huge crater appeared, according to a BBC report. The local fire service said it had been aware of a small hole that was due to be filled in, but a resident called the station at 1:30 in the mor
October 9, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
Around 20 residents of St Albans, a town near London, were evacuated after a huge sinkhole appeared overnight.

The hole, 20m in diameter and 10m deep, cut right across at the road and well into an adjoining garden, leaving one family’s car stranded on the driveway.

Residents are said to have heard a crash before the huge crater appeared, according to a %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal BBC report Visit BBC page false http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34411214 false false%>.

The local fire service said it had been aware of a small hole that was due to be filled in, but a resident called the station at 1:30 in the morning to say the hole had "opened up substantially", the BBC reported.

The local authority, the Hertfordshire County Council, said a small hole had appeared in footpath nearby and workers were scheduled to soon fill it in.

One heavily pregnant woman was woken by the sound of the noise, “like an earthquake". Her husband jumped out of bed, looked out the window and said the road had gone.

"If this doesn't bring on my labour then nothing will," she said.

Related Content

  • Seoul, city of contemplation and the 25th World Road Congress
    March 18, 2015
    It’s been a decade since South Korea’s capital city Seoul took the bold step of replacing a major urban throughway with a park, complete with a river, to create the Cheonggyecheon Walkway. Now, Seoul is getting ready to host the 25th World Road Congress from November 2-5. The event is being produced in cooperation with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the Republic of Korea, the Korea Expressway Corporation, the Korea Road & Transportation Association and the PIARC Korean National Commit
  • North Marmara Motorway connecting roads tenders postponed again
    September 2, 2015
    Tenders for construction of connecting roads for Istanbul's third bridge over the Bosporus have been postponed for the fourth time. A tender for the Kurtkoy-Akyazi motorway tender will be held on March 1 next year with that for the Kinali-Odayeri road will be held a week later, the Dünya Gazetesi newspaper reported. The tenders will be held as part of the 260km North Marmara Motorway project that includes the soon to be completed Yavus Sultan Selim Bridge. Completion of the connecting roads is plan
  • Verco buckets up to extreme condition mining
    January 6, 2017
    Verco has been supplying buckets for mining in extreme conditions for more than 25 years. Proud members of the HARDOX WEARPARTS network, and with products boasting the logo HARDOX IN MY BODY, Verco specialises in the production of bucket for big excavators and wheeled loaders. The firm also produces wear parts, liners for crushers and recycling equipment.
  • Verco buckets up to extreme condition mining
    April 9, 2013
    Verco has been supplying buckets for mining in extreme conditions for more than 25 years. Proud members of the HARDOX WEARPARTS network, and with products boasting the logo HARDOX IN MY BODY, Verco specialises in the production of bucket for big excavators and wheeled loaders. The firm also produces wear parts, liners for crushers and recycling equipment.