Sinkhole Forces Emergency Closure on Broughton Avenue

A section of the road in Aylesbury has been closed around the clock after a sinkhole appeared during planned highway works, according to Buckinghamshire Highways.

The closure affects the stretch between Oakfield Road and Henry Road and is expected to remain in place until 6am on Saturday, 23 May.

Highways officials said the sinkhole developed during the initial phase of scheduled works after a “localised failure beneath the carriageway” was discovered. Further investigations revealed additional remediation work is needed before the road can safely reopen.

Image: Cllr Mark Winn and Cllr Andy Huxley Aylesbury East

Specialist surveys are now being carried out, followed by excavation and full reinstatement of the damaged section of road.

Despite the closure, access for residents is being maintained from either side of the affected area.

Buckinghamshire Highways said it is aiming to reopen the road by Saturday morning but warned that updates would be provided if the situation changes.

The closure is also believed to be contributing to heavier traffic than normal on surrounding routes, particularly along Tring Road, Broughton Lane over the bridge, Bellingham Way and through Bierton on the A418, especially during the busy morning and afternoon school runs and rush hours as drivers seek alternative routes.

Image: Cllr Mark Winn and Cllr Andy Huxley Aylesbury East

Update on Broughton Avenue Roadworks

Councillors Mark Winn and Andy Huxley have provided an update on their FaceBook page on the ongoing roadworks in Broughton Avenue following a site visit with engineers today.

The pair said the foreman explained that an approximate 200-square-metre section of the road had collapsed because of weaknesses in the concrete beneath the surface.

They were told that standard bore hole investigations would not normally detect this type of issue, as drilling any deeper could itself damage the concrete structure.

Engineers warned that allowing vehicles, including buses and cars, to continue using the road could potentially have caused a sinkhole to open up, which is why part of the road has been closed as a safety precaution.

The damaged concrete now needs to be completely replaced.

The foreman described the situation as a “freak event”, adding that a highly experienced engineer involved in the work said they had not encountered anything similar in 25 years.

Work crews are now trying to complete repairs in time for residents to use the road over the Bank Holiday weekend on Monday.

If all goes to plan, resurfacing work — which will be carried out by a separate team — is expected to be finished by Tuesday night.

The councillors added that the repairs could not be completed during the original overnight working schedule because of the extent of the damage discovered.