‘Bus-sized hole’ forces closure of busy Dundee street

Published on 01/10/2012 12:47

A HOLE described as “the size of a double-decker bus” has been discovered under a busy Dundee street.

Police were called in to secure the area after a pothole caved in to reveal the huge void.

The road was closed on Saturday night and is expected to remain shut for several days.

A bus driver stopped his vehicle and phoned the emergency services on Saturday afternoon.

A spokesman for Tayside Police said: “We got a phone call from the bus company to say Albert Street was collapsing.

“There’s a pothole but underneath there’s a void the size of a double-decker bus.”

Paul Gowans, 44, who works at the nearby Windsor Bar, watched the drama unfold.

He said: “There was water seeping out of the ground.

“I was popping in and out of the pub but I believe it opened fairly quickly.”

The hole on the surface, thought to be caused by a water leak, was only around two feet square but investigations soon revealed the scale of the underground cavity.

Andy Scrimgeour, assistant engineer with the roads department, said: “There’s a void under the road the length of a bus.

“I had a look and initially I couldn’t see down so I closed the road southways.”

Further explorations, however, revealed the extent of the potential danger.

Mr Scrimgeour added: “It’s a substantial void, making it very dangerous.

“What’s probably happened over time is the constant water pressure has washed away the structure. The road starts to fall in.

“I’m just grateful it didn’t fall in while a lorry was going over.”

Albert Street is a major route through Dundee, taking traffic from the riverside up towards the A90 dual carriageway to Aberdeen.

A spokesman for Scottish Water said: “Scottish Water will work closely with Dundee City Council roads department to identify the potential source of this issue.”