Sinkhole in Manchester reveals 50m-deep mine shaft

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 21 Oct, 17:32 · Archive

A sinkhole discovered in March on Alan Turing Way in east Manchester revealed a 50-metre-deep unmapped mine shaft beneath the road.

A sinkhole discovered in March on Alan Turing Way, one of Manchester's busiest roads, revealed a 50-metre-deep mine shaft that had not been recorded on historic maps. The northbound carriageway between Ashton Old Road and Grey Mare Lane has been closed since the road surface began to sink. Engineers worked for months to determine the cause, only confirming in late September that a mine shaft was responsible.

Manchester City Council has stabilised the shaft and filled it with 120 tonnes of concrete grout to eliminate any risk to surrounding roads and buildings. The council's executive member for transport, Mandie Shilton Godwin, described the repair as a 'massive job', stating: 'No one could have anticipated the scale of the void that we found but, once it became apparent, all of our effort went into making sure the site was safe and the road could be reopened.'

Work continues on the repair, with engineers installing a reinforced concrete cap over the shaft and then filling the remaining void beneath the road surface. The final phase will involve resurfacing the carriageway. Manchester City Council expects the road to reopen by mid-December.

How it is being reported

• The mammoth job of fixing the giant hole on Alan Turing Way after mineshaft uncoveredThe section of road through Alan Turing Way has been closed off since March, when a giant hole appeared out of nowhereManchester Evening News · 21 Oct, 17:13
• Sinkhole revealed 50m mine shaft beneath roadPart of Alan Turing Way has been closed since March and is expected to stay shut until mid-December.BBC Manchester · 21 Oct, 15:47

In this story: Alan Turing Way · Manchester · Manchester City Council · Mandie Shilton Godwin

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