Sinkhole stretching width of Gower main road found

Image source, Brian Williams

Image caption, The sinkhole stretches the entire width of the road, Swansea council said

A sinkhole has been discovered that has left a main road in Swansea in danger of collapsing.

The hole - the width of three houses - has closed South Gower Road because of a "risk of imminent collapse", Swansea council said.

It is shut between Penmaen and the turn-off to Oxwich.

Brian Williams, who owns a nearby business, said the hole had been developing for 40 years.

Traffic is being diverted via Cefn Bryn and the North Gower Road.

"For many years this has been on the move, I've thought it must be going under the road," Mr Williams told 大象传媒 Radio Wales.

"It's subsided many times, they kept filling it with material this time they've discovered there is a void under the road.

"Now and again motorists have felt a little bump going over it."

Mr Williams, owner of the Perriswood Archery and Falconry Centre, added he was "surprised" to find signage had disappeared after the road had been officially shut, with reports that motorists have been removing them and driving through.

Mark Thomas, cabinet member for infrastructure management at Swansea council, said: "Senior officers and specialists are assessing the situation.

Video caption, Sinkholes are often caused by an abnormal amount of water seeping into the ground, but they are difficult to predict

"The South Gower Road is a main route on Gower so we fully appreciate the inconvenience this will cause but we must put safety first.

"Initial findings are that the land beneath the road surface has been washed away meaning that there is a very real risk the road could collapse at this point.

"Although the road surface looks sound the void is believed to extend for the full width of the road therefore it is essential that no traffic travels on it.

"We will update people as soon as we can but it is possible the road will be closed for some time."