UNDERGROUND water has been blamed for closing a Petersfield road after erosion created an underground void, thought at first to be a sink-hole.
When subsidence along Sussex Road was noticed, one suggestion by highways engineers was that it had been caused by a sink-hole below the road.
A Hampshire County Council spokesperson said: “Geotechnical experts have advised that the hole is not a ‘sink-hole’ but caused by slow, long-term erosion of the subsoil by ground water.”
And when a digger moved into excavate the subsidence, it was revealed water erosion had created a trench under the road upto 1.5m wide, about 2m deep at its deepest, and around 12m long.
Engineers immediately closed one lane of the road, and as the excavation got bigger, closed both lanes.
Traffic was diverted along Heath Road East, Heath Road and into the town at the High Street junction with Dragon Street.
Sussex Road, normally full all day with parked cars, was remarkably empty.
Yesterday (April 26) council contractors Amey Roads filled the hole with a special concrete, which expands to fill all the cavities.
They are due to re-surface the road this week.
The council spokesperson said: “We are able to permanently resolve the issue by filling the hole with concrete.
“Our contractors are currently working to fill the hole and repair the road surface.
“While this work is undertaken, the road is closed, but during periods where the road materials are being left to cure, we have been able to partially open it.
“The work is expected to be completed in the next few days.”