A1's sink hole filled in
Roads back to normal, well as normal as can be.
Drivers are advised that the northbound A1 near Newcastle and Gateshead between junctions 67 (Coal House) and 68 (Lobley Hill) is now fully open after repairs to a hole on the carriageway were completed overnight.
The repair work was completed in time for this morning’s peak rush hour period and contractors have been working around the clock since the hole was discovered on Saturday evening.
The hole, which was 3m deep, has now been filled with a specialist concrete mixture and holes were drilled to pump more material underneath the repair to prevent further collapse.
Lynne Biddles, Highways England Project Manager, said:
“We have been working hard since the hole was discovered and we have now re-opened the road in time for this morning’s rush hour. I want to thank drivers for their patience as we carried out the urgent repairs.”
Highways England worked with key partners to put measures in place to help ease congestion.
These included installing a contraflow on the southbound section of the A1 and putting local diversion routes in place. Toll barriers were also lifted for the Tyne Tunnel but are now back in place.
The large hole under the A1 was discovered by Highways England on Saturday night when a slight dip in the road surface became apparent. Workers then cut around the dip to investigate and discovered a large void underneath the road surface. Thankfully it was in a coned off stretch due to roadworks elsewhere on the A1, so there was no traffic using the road at the time.