Sinkhole in Hemel Hempstead may leave road shut for another two months

A 14-metre deep sinkhole that has closed a road since May could take another TWO months to repair.
The sinkhole has closed off High Street Green since MayThe sinkhole has closed off High Street Green since May
The sinkhole has closed off High Street Green since May

The major void has shut off High Street Green in Hemel Hempstead for the last 13 weeks, and residents have seen little in the way of progress fixing it.

But now county council bosses say that it could be up to another eight weeks before the problem is solved, which would have seen the street shut for nearly half a year.

A spokesman for Herts County Council said the authority was “working to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.”

They added: “We understand that this issue is of concern to residents. We received the final report on the void a week ago and we are deciding on how to best deal with it.

“These are complex works and will take some time, but we hope to have the works completed and the road re-opened within a couple of months. We would like to thank local residents for their patience.”

A Thames Water spokesman added: “When the sinkhole formed, our sewer pipe was damaged by the debris so once the council has made the area safe for us to repair it we will.

“In the meantime we’ve installed a temporary overground pipe to carry the sewage that would normally flow through the damaged one.”

But the delays have been slammed by Councillor Graham Adshead, who represents Adeyfield East on Dacorum Borough Council.

Cllr Adshead had said he had made multiple attempts to find out what was happening, but had no response from the parties involved with the clear-up.

He said: “It’s not great when a councillor has to find out the latest from the press.”

The biggest impact on residents had been the diversion of bus routes, he said.

“There’s now no bus service for the Saracens Head area, which has a lot of elderly people who rely on it,” he added.

“These residents take the bus to the town centre and Watford General Hospital, but they are now relying on taxis.

“The smaller roads around the area have also seen a dramatic increase in traffic and were not designed to take it.

“The response to all this has not been great for a second. The lack of information is ridiculous.”