TRL aids Highways Agency with M2 motorway hole investigation

The UK’s transport research Laboratory (TRL) provided a rapid response when asked for help as part of the investigation of the recent appearance of a hole in the central reservation of the M2 between junctions 5 near Sittingbourne and 6, near Faversham. The hole that appeared is believed to be a dene hole; an historic man made hole which may have been used to mine for chalk hundreds of years ago. The hole was filled in when the M2 was constructed, but recent wet weather contributed to the destabilisati
February 21, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
The UK’s transport research Laboratory (491 TRL) provided a rapid response when asked for help as part of the investigation of the recent appearance of a hole in the central reservation of the M2 between junctions 5 near Sittingbourne and 6, near Faversham.  

The hole that appeared is believed to be a dene hole; an historic man made hole which may have been used to mine for chalk hundreds of years ago. The hole was filled in when the M2 was constructed, but recent wet weather contributed to the destabilisation of the ground, causing the hole to appear.

Within a few hours of being asked for assistance, TRL was able to mobilise a team to be on site to provide two coring rigs and staff to undertake investigations of the carriageway in one lane either side of the hole to establish its integrity. The carriageway is constructed of jointed reinforced concrete with a thick asphalt overlay.

Two TRL teams working round the clock cored approximately 38 holes to help determine the extent of the problem.

The 503 Highways Agency has now stabilised the hole with forty tonnes of pea shingle and further geotechnical investigations by TRL confirm that the ground beneath the M2 is safe for traffic to use.

Further resurfacing work has finished, with all lanes now re-opened, nine days after the 15ft deep hole swallowed up the road surface.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • TRL develops eCall test proposals ahead of mandatory roll-out in 2018
    November 11, 2015
    TRL, the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory, has developed proposals for technical requirements and test procedures for the European type-approval of eCall in-vehicle systems. The draft proposals, which were developed for the European Commission, provide recommendations on the safety requirements for eCall systems in preparation of the mandatory European roll-out in 2018. Following the publication of eCall Regulation (EU) 2015/758 in May 2015, TRL was commissioned by the European Commission to develop dr
    Read More
  • Strike action prompts commuters to try something different
    June 2, 2014
    David Crawford highlights responses to transit disruption on both sides of the Atlantic. Shortly before workers at San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) began a lengthy round of pay and conditions-related strikes in summer 2013, impacting on the daily lives of 400,000 communities, online ridesharing group Avego publicised a new web address: bartstrike.com. By the start of the following week, Avego was encouraging stranded commuters to download its smartphone app by offering them the chance in a raffle
    Read More
  • Redflex installs the first point to point system in South Australia
    July 7, 2014
    Following the successful rollout of average speed enforcement systems on four zones of Victoria’s Peninsula Link and up to eight zones of the Hume Highway, together with 37 sites in New South Wales, Redflex has now implemented next generation average speed enforcement systems on Port Wakefield Road and Dukes Highway in South Australia. Two RedflexPoint-to-point cameras are now providing average speed enforcement on two major carriageways leading into the city of Adelaide; in both directions on the 13 kil
    Read More
  • Machine vision standards definition moves forward with establishment of new forum
    December 3, 2012
    The new Future Standards Forum will homogenise standards develop in the machine vision and partnering sectors. Here, machine vision industry experts discuss developments. By Jason Barnes At the Vision Show, which took place in Stuttgart at the beginning of November, the European Machine Vision Association, the US’s Automated Imaging Association and the Japan Industrial Imaging Association (JIIA) established a joint initiative, the Future Standards Forum (FSF). This, said the EMVA’s President Toni Ventura, a
    Read More

Highlighted Content