A councillor has raised concerns about the ‘unstable’ ground in Hinckley as engineers are to attempt again to install a sewage pipe.
Hinckley and Bosworth Borough councillor David Bill was alarmed to hear about the scheme to lay a 315mm diameter sewage main along Roston Drive and under the A47 perimeter road this summer.
The installation will serve a new housing estate on the other side of the A-road near Triumph.
A section of Roston Drive in the approach to the roundabout with the A47 will be closed for the duration of the project, including a shared footpath and cycle track.
Temporary traffic lights will be in place across three weekends on the perimeter road.
Cllr Bill wrote to Leicestershire County Council to voice his concerns.
He said: “A number of years ago the same scheme was carried out with considerable disruption to all concerned.
“The well-established highway verge was left totally destroyed for some months and the concrete pipes which were installed in the fields eventually sunk into the marshy ground where they stayed abandoned to this day.
“The real problem is that so much of Hinckley lies on unstable ground, a fact that I suspect accounts for the same roads having to be dug up time and time again after contractors have been into the roads to replace services.
“It really would help if contractors could be warned that if they intend burying concrete pipes under Hinckley that they will not necessarily stay there in the same place for long.”
His concerns were passed on to Severn Trent Water, who are carrying out the works.
Community communications officer Timothy Ip wrote back to Cllr Bill, saying that the project team was aware of the problems caused by the 2017 scheme.
He said: “The team originally wanted to use a no-dig solution but encountered difficulties which forced the team to abandon the project and rethink their strategy.
“This time the team will use a traditional ‘open cut’ method which should mitigate the issues faced in 2017.
“They’ve confirmed that any pipes left or damage caused as part of the 2017 works will be removed and appropriately reinstated as part of this phase.
“The team completed three boreholes as part of their site investigation in 2017 which informed a proposal to install the pipes at two metres deep in predominantly stiff clay.
“The site engineer was confident that the ground conditions at this level will be suitable.”
This time the group plans to install ductile iron pipes under the A47 which will be significantly stronger and will be able to withstand the high volumes of traffic on the road.
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Mr Ip said: “After consultation with the local highways team, the team will undertake the work on the A47 island across three weekends to avoid causing major traffic disruption in the week.
“The team will issue communications to local residents to provide the specific details of how the project will be undertaken.”
The works are due to start on July 13 and will last for up to six weeks.
