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Contractors prepare equipment for overnight repair at Jervois Quay, Wellington.
Wellington commuters are again warned of potential rush hour traffic delays due to ongoing repairs to a sump at Jervois Quay.
Wellington City Council urges travelers to be vigilant in the media and social media early Friday to avoid delays following overnight repairs.
The sinkhole emerged Wednesday, at the intersection of Hunter St, and had caused a cavity about 10 feet deep to open under the road and a 1.5 meter wide hole in the road.
A council spokesperson said the sump was caused by a break in a stormwater pipe deep in the highway that, through the ebb and flow of the tide, washed away the base of the highway above the pipe.
Work was carried out at the site Wednesday night and it was planned to continue again through Thursday night, with workers beginning shoring work to stabilize the ground and road around the full extent of the broken pipe.
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“On the advice of engineers, more work is needed tonight to conduct a CCTV inspection of the damaged pipeline and further shore up the sump to reduce the risk of road users collapsing,” the council said in a released Thursday evening.
“We expect this work to continue for the next two nights, after which the road can be fully reopened. This will mean a continuous disruption of traffic until the work is completed, and we thank the drivers for their patience while this work is done. ”
Two southbound lanes of Jervois Quay are expected to be available for Friday morning rush hour traffic, but that will be confirmed, or otherwise, by 6 a.m. Friday.
The council said a full pipeline repair would still need to be done.
“The pipeline was due to be renewed within the next 10 years and now it will be accelerated to take place in the next six months. We will keep the public informed as to when this full repair is likely to take place. “
The 450mm diameter pipe, made of earthenware and laid in the 1900s, fills and empties with the tide.
Over time, a hole in the pipe was thought to have allowed the water to gradually erode and wash the subsoil, causing the surrounding soil to collapse.
Ross Giblin / Stuff
Workers assess the sinkhole at Jervois Quay Wednesday afternoon.
The hole is located directly above a storm drain and some gas mains, but it is believed that there are no potable water or sewage pipelines in the area.
In other parts of Wellington, residents in parts of Karori had their water cut off after a main water main burst on Collier Avenue on Thursday.
Wellington Water said a tanker would provide a temporary supply to residents.
