Road closure due to mystery void under March town centre

The unexpected void under the road will mean more disruption for March

A town centre junction will be closed for two weeks after a 4m (13ft) "void" was discovered beneath a street.

The junction of Dartford Road and Broad Street in March, Cambridgeshire, would need emergency repairs, a contractor said.

The town has faced disruption since January 2023 when a £8.4m redevelopment programme started.

Octavius, the contractor for the works, said the so-called void presented potential safety issues for road users.

"A void is an anomaly we have found under the carriageway. It is one metre under the surface and about four metres deep and a few metres wide; it has been there a long time," said Octavius senior manager, Jon Millar.

"For the safety of the public and the future of the project we are going to have to excavate and find out what it actually is and ultimately fill it in.

"We have done investigations with cameras down the sewers of the area, but they have proven inconclusive."

Jon Millar from Octavius says he is not sure what the large void beneath the road actually is

Mr Millar added: "It has to be dealt with, because of buses and lorries passing over it.

"We do not believe it is a sink hole, which would be caused by natural ground water. We think it could be an old Victorian sewer or an historical feature.

"The whole project is still on track to finish in autumn this year, but this has to be repaired before we progress with installing a new roundabout.

"We do apologise for any inconvenience caused whilst we undertake this important work and we will endeavour to complete the work as quickly as possible.

"We would like to thank the public for their continued understanding and patience."

The junction of Broad Street and Dartford Road is closed off while work to repair the void continues

Some businesses spoke of frustration at the works and said they felt footfall had been affected by what is set to become a two-year redevelopment of the Fenland market town.

A Fenland District Council spokesperson said: "The closure is an unforeseen and unavoidable situation that is necessary to urgently repair the void."