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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Abigail O'Leary

Mystery as busy road looks like it's been hit by an earthquake and snaps into pieces

Mysterious underground movements have caused a road to shatter as if hit by an earthquake.

Repair work to a section of the B4069 near Lyneham in Wiltshire could cost millions to repair, with huge cracks in the tarmac.

Wiltshire Council say the road has been closed since February 17 - but some drivers are still trying to use it according to police.

The earthquake-like damage has been caused by unexplained underground movements which will now be investigated.

Local residents claim the subsidence has been getting worse over the last year and a landslip was inevitable.

Wiltshire Council said it is now waiting for a report from geotechnical specialists before taking further action.

The B4069 near Lyneham which has been severely damaged (Adam Hughes / SWNS)

Dr Mark McClelland, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for transport, told BBC Radio Wiltshire: "It could costs hundreds of thousands or up into the millions [to fix].

"There is significant damage to the road. It could be up to 12 months in total. It's not something that can be resolved in a matter of days or weeks."

Dr McClelland added in some places the road had 'buckled' up to four feet, and descriptions of it looking like an earthquake were accurate.

A section of the B4069 near Lyneham in Wiltshire has been so badly damaged that the tarmac is completely snapped or at a 45 degree angle (Adam Hughes / SWNS)
Wiltshire Council said it is now waiting for a report from geotechnical specialists before taking further action (Adam Hughes / SWNS)

He added: "The underlying ground has slipped and we need to understand why that has happened.

"The police have been very clear that it's very dangerous for motorists to ignore signage."

The remarkable damage is also affecting local business, with local pubs like the Peterborough Arms suffering huge losses in bookings since the closure.

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