Sinkhole closes road in valleys town

Nation Cymru staff

A Welsh council has closed a stretch of road in a valleys town after a sinkhole appeared overnight.

The cause of the sinkhole on Sycamore Avenue, Tredegar, has yet to be determined, with Blaenau Gwent council, Dwr Cymru and the Mining Remediation Authority currently investigating while the road is closed to traffic.

A Facebook post from the council shared: “A road in Tredegar is currently closed due to a sinkhole. We responded promptly to reports of the sinkhole on Sycamore Avenue, Tredegar, on Saturday, immediately securing the area and closing the road.

“We were back on site first thing on Monday 1st June, together with Dwr Cymru Welsh Water and the Mining Remediation Authority (MRA), to start investigations into the potential cause of the sinkhole.

“A water culvert was inspected and found to be unaffected. Today, Wales and West Utilities are also attending on site, after which the hole will be filled.”

The post added: “At this time, no cause has been confirmed so investigations will continue over the course of the next week, with the MRA due back on site next week to investigate further.

“The safety of residents and the wider public remains our top priority, and we will continue to respond accordingly as the investigations and ground works progress. The road currently remains closed with a short diversion in place.

“We will update on this as more information becomes available.”

In a further update, the council added: “The filling of the sinkhole will be a temporary measure until we can establish the cause.

“The investigations by the Mining Remediation Authority next week will use techniques that will not require the removal of the temporary fill; however, a more permanent resolution will be required based on the findings and when the time is appropriate.”