ISLANDERS have been advised that there will be no quick or easy solution to the sinkhole that opened on a St Helier street a week before Christmas and has caused disruption ever since.
The latest update from the Infrastructure and Environment Department outlines a “highly complex” situation affecting a stretch of the ring road at Rouge Bouillon and highlights the difficulties of implementing changes to traffic management measures which have been in place for the past two months.
Installation of a steel strapping system to stabilise the property in Clarendon Road is the next step in work to solve the problem, after which a geotechnical engineer will assess soil conditions beneath the foundations.
The update said the focus would then move on to the demolition of external structures, including boundary walls, with the current intention being to reopen the road after Easter.
“We want to thank the owner [of the affected property] for working with all parties to come to the fastest possible resolution,” the department stated.
The decision to retain the current traffic arrangements was based on several considerations, spelled out by officials:
- Reversing Clarendon Road was said to “pose additional safety risks for residents and pedestrians”.
- Allowing right-turn access onto Clarendon Road from Val Plaisant “could cause severe traffic congestion”.
- Reversing Midvale Road, while “potentially useful”, would necessitate signal junction changes, creating the potential for “confusion, complications and further safety concerns”.
- Islanders are advised to continue to avoid the area and use alternative routes to access St Helier where possible, with a further update set to be issued by the end of February.
The department concluded: “We understand that the closure has significant impacts on daily travel and local businesses – the road will only reopen once the buildings are stabilised and all risks of structural collapse have been mitigated.”
Pupils at most Island schools are set to return after the Easter holidays on Wednesday 23 April.
