It may be some time before a permanent fix can be made to a “giant” pothole on the bridge over the M6 in Sandbach, the “Chronicle” can report – despite fears it is a safety hazard.
A spokesperson for National Highways said it would need to wait for dry weather before repairs could be carried out to the waterproof structure that protects the bridge from rain and salt, believed to be the cause of the pothole.
It is estimated that thousands of drivers have had to swerve to avoid the foot deep hole since it opened up near the junction 17 slip road at the end of last month.
After two attempts to patch it up, Cheshire East Council said in its latest statement that the “compromised” bridge may need to be closed for National Highways to re waterproof and re line the road, before a permanent repair could be made to the hole.
Resident Steve Buckley said he saw that the pothole had been repaired last Monday morning, but that it had opened up again by 4pm the same day.
He said: “It was about a foot deep at around 9am. People were having to swerve into the middle of the carriageway to get around it.
“Every time they fill it in, it gets opened up again within a matter of hours.”
He was concerned about the dangers the pothole could cause to motorcyclists.
“I know people exaggerate,” he said, “but if a motorbike hit that, it would catapult them off their bike into a somersault.
“If they were lucky, they’d hit the road. If they were unlucky, they could go over the bridge and land on the motorway.”
He remembered an incident in June 2023 when a white Ford Fiesta fell from the bridge onto the northbound carriageway.
He said: “With a pothole as deep and big as that is, and recurring as often as it is, there is clearly a serious problem with the bridge.
“It is likely they are going to have to close it; if not, knock it down and start again, because it cannot cope with the volume of traffic that goes over it.”
A Cheshire East Council spokesperson said staff had attempted to repair the pothole on 13th and 20th January.
They said: “The second repair remains in place at present. A permanent fix cannot be carried out at this stage because the bridge membrane beneath the road surface is damaged.
“The membrane is a waterproof layer that protects the bridge structure and, while it remains compromised, any surface repair is unlikely to last.”
National Highways, which is responsible for the bridge, has works planned to re waterproof and re line it.
The council spokesperson said: “We are waiting for these works to be carried out before completing a permanent repair.
“We are continuing to work closely with National Highways and monitoring the location in the meantime to ensure that we keep it safe, in line with our statutory duty.”
A National Highways spokesperson said: “Safety is our top priority, and we have worked closely with Cheshire East Council to provide advice and assistance to enable repairs to the pothole.
“Following investigations to determine the underlying cause, it has been identified that waterproofing repairs are needed.”
It said repairs would be carried out at a date to be confirmed.
(Photo: Sam Corcoran).
