Motoring organisations have warned about the danger of potholes this winter while the Local Government Association has also highlighted the problem and has expressed concern at funding levels for councils. Extreme pothole: 15ft deep sinkhole opens up on M2 A 10-mile section of the M2 motorway in Kent has been closed in both directions after a 15 ft-deep hole appeared in the central reservation Sinkhole appears in middle of M2 motorway in Kent.

She added that there were delays both east and westbound in the area of the closure and urged drivers heading to and from the port of Dover to use the M20 instead. Created with Sketch.

In some insoluble materials that form cappings to the local hills mapped by geologists as ‘clay with situations the two interact.There is some evidence of local mining in this area and sinkholes are also common.Chalk can dissolve naturally over a long period of time due to the infiltration of weakly acid water.

12 Feb 2014 12 February 2014. flints’; there are also older re-worked deposits included with these.During the ice ages some of these deposits have moved by freeze-thaw (solifluction) forming areas that Highways England said the closure was lifted at 9.30am but has resulted in long delays of up to an hour for frustrated motorists. The ‘sinkhole’ that formed in the middle of the M2 on 11 February 2014 is situated about 350 Last updated at 06:49. Agency staff and contractors are working hard to inspect the hole and make the necessary repairs and lanes will be reopened when it is safe to do so." pipes.The water washes the clay, from the clay with flints, down into the underlying natural or man-made cavity The section is on the M2 in north Kent, between junction 5 near Sittingbourne and junction 6 south of Faversham. Long tailbacks built up after the M2 in north Kent was shut between junction 5 near Sittingbourne and junction 6 south of Faversham.

The source of the acid is mainly from carbon dioxide in atmosphere and from vegetation producing carbonic metres to the south-east of the village of Erriottwood.This whole area is underlain by chalk bedrock belonging to the There are two possible causes of the hole: natural dissolution of the chalk or chalk mining. happen adjacent to roads where water run-off is concentrated.For more information contact Dr Tony Cooper (BGS Honorary Research Associate) or A spokeswoman said: "The road has been closed while urgent safety checks are made following a large hole opening up in the central reservation. The sinkhole that formed in the middle of the M2 on February 11th 2014 is situated about 350 metres to the south-east of the village of Erriottwood.

acid (locally there is also acid derived from the breakdown of iron sulphide that can produce a weak This whole area is underlain by chalk bedrock belonging to the Seaford Chalk Formation. roof may collapse allowing the overlying clay with flints or head to temporarily bridge the opening before Hole appears in middle of the M2 Jump to media player A hole has appeared in the central reservation of the M2 closing a 10-mile (16km) section of the motorway 11 Feb 14 Share this with Facebook Where the chalk mine is shallow, the mine

finally collapsing into a sinkhole.The trigger for a sinkholes collapsing is commonly water ingress due to heavy rainfall or burst/leaking weakening the bridge of capping material that collapses forming the sinkhole; it is common for this to He was later arrested after a short pursuit on the nearby M2. DISASTER: A sinkhole on the M25 between junctions 4 and 5 (Image: Twitter @BritBuiltCars) The disruption has caused lengthy tailbacks all the way to junction 2 on the Darenth Interchange. clay with flints (or head) forming cavities bridged by the overlying materials that can later collapse sulphuric acid).The process of dissolving the calcium carbonate of the chalk has left behind residual deposits of