A busy Paignton seafront road will be closed for up to six weeks as engineers work to repair a huge hole the size of a shipping container under the ground.
Torbay Council has confirmed that the ‘void’ which has been discovered under Sands Road is much larger than was first thought.
The void under the surface of the road is three metres deep and measures three metres by eight metres under the ground. The visible hole in the road surface measures a metre across.
Council staff have been working with engineers from maintenance company SWISCo and South West Water to assess the extent of the void.
A spokesman said: “Repair work has been complicated by difficult ground conditions and uncertainty over the stability of the void.
“A defect has also been found in a large drainage pipe under the road at a depth of 4.5 metres, which will need to be fixed.”
Contractors have now been appointed to carry out the repairs.
The spokesman said Sands Road – closed since before the Easter weekend – would stay closed in both directions for four to six weeks. The site will remain fenced off and diversions will remain in place.
The spokesman also thanked local people for their patience and understanding.
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