Work underway to repair huge sinkhole on Heywood Road in Prestwich as drivers warned to avoid area

The sinkhole appeared on Heywood Road on Monday 17 July. Credit: MEN Media

Work is underway to repair a huge sinkhole that appeared on a residential street in Prestwich after storms battered Greater Manchester.

The hole, approximately ten feet wide, emerged after a sewer collapsed on Heywood Road, Prestwich, prompting traffic to be diverted.

Bury Council said United Utilities engineers were looking into the problem. 

Heywood Road is currently closed in both directions between Bury Old Road and Heys Road.

Wheelie bins were hastily placed in the road to stop drivers heading straight for the sinkhole, which opened up on Monday morning (17 July).

Huge 10ft sinkhole swallows up residential road
The 10 foot wide sinkhole opened up on Monday, 17 July. Credit: MEN Media

Some of the bins fell into the hole as the road continued to cave in, with a collapsed sewer to be the cause.It's not the first time Heywood Road has been hit by the issue, after a huge sinkhole opened up on the same road in October 2016.

More recently, smaller sinkholes have been reported near the junction with Bury Old Road.

United Utilities are working to fix the hole. Credit: MEN Media
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A spokesperson for Bury Council said: "We believe this is a collapsed sewer, and United Utilities will be dealing with that.

The road has been blocked off and diversions put in place via Heys Road and Bury Old Road and vice versa.

"The duration required for the closure is unknown at the moment."

A United Utilities spokesperson added: "A sinkhole has been reported to us on Heywood Road in Prestwich and our engineers will be attending to investigate."

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