CLYDEBANK residents are to suffer up to six months awaiting the repair of the 62-metre sinkhole in Kilbowie Road.

Despite protestations by Provost and Councillor Douglas McAllister last week at a packed public meeting, West Dunbartonshire Council and the Coal Authority have now revealed the timescale for repair is well beyond the weeks he demanded.

Though the hole on the surface is around six-metre wide, there is a larger six-metre-deep void below the road and then 56-metre-deep shaft.

The total 62-metre depth is greater than the height of the Titan Crane and equivalent to 14 stacked double decker buses.

Work has already begun to fill in the hole which is estimated will take six to eight weeks.

But the void above it will take up to another 16 weeks because of the size and utilities such as pipes, drains, power and utility cables.

Stone, pressurised grouting and a concrete plug will be needed to stabilise the surface, and the road reconstruction can only start after that. The Coal Authority is responsible for the hole and the council will take on the reinstatement of the road.

Although Cllr McAllister had demanded work be undertaken 24/7 on repairs, the Coal Authority said they are on site seven days a week, starting at 7am and working until about 9pm. They aim to finish before 10pm because of nearby residents.

Ronnie Dinnie, the council’s strategic lead for environment and neighbourhood, said: “This is the biggest collapse ever seen on one of our roads. It is like an iceberg in that what is visible from the surface is only a fraction of the true size of this sink hole.

“We are grateful that the Coal Authority, the country’s lead organisation on mine shafts and their remediation, is leading this project and they will move as quickly as possible.

“I know how frustrating this traffic disruption is to our residents but it’s crucial that we get this resolved and the ground is stabilised so that it can be made safe for residents and all members of the public to travel on this stretch in future. “

Tim Marples, head of public safety and subsidence for the Coal Authority, said: “The unrecorded shaft at Kilbowie Road is one of our top operational priorities and our prime concern is the safety of the public.

“Our engineers have designed a solution to safely fill the shaft and repair the road and we are working with West Dunbartonshire Council and the utility companies on our proposals.

“This particular repair is complicated by the exposed utility services within the 62-metre-deep void, which we are working to protect.

“From our experience, the work will take between six to eight weeks to complete and cost in the region of £250,000.

“Our aim is get the road re-opened as soon as possible to minimise the impact on local residents and traffic. We apologise for the inconvenience and disruption caused presently and during the forthcoming works.”

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