Australia’s biggest ever pothole? Huge portion of road collapsed and swallowed a Coles delivery truck
A massive pothole that opened up after a pipe broke in the centre of Sydney swallowed a Coles delivery truck.
Ten businesses were left without water at the College Street and Prince Albert Road intersection in the city’s CBD on Friday due to the hole.
Students from St Mary’s Cathedral College, which was also affected by the plumbing issue, were sent home.
Earlier in the day, the pothole was large enough to trap a Coles delivery truck.
Fortunately, tow trucks managed to remove the vehicle; although the tyres were damaged, the driver was able to exit safely.
The city had experienced heavy rainfall, including a 100mm downpour over three hours from Thursday night into Friday, causing flooding and prompting 42 rescues.
On Friday afternoon, a Sydney Water spokesperson told the Daily Mail they were currently responding to the incident, which was believed to have been caused by a burst water pipe.
‘Sydney Water crews are on site excavating and have isolated the main with a rezone in place so that repairs can commence,’ they said.
A pothole opened up in Sydney’s CBD on Friday, forcing a nearby school to close
The pothole was believed to have been caused by a burst water pipe during heavy rain
‘Prince Albert Road is currently closed with diversions in place in order for this critical work to be carried out safely.
‘Sydney Water thanks the community for its patience and apologises for the inconvenience.’
Although conditions started to ease by the afternoon, NSW SES told the Daily Mail the severity of the weather had come as a surprise.
‘The storm came hard and fast and was quite unexpected for us,’ they said.
‘In the past 24 hours, we’ve had over 650 jobs, with 44 being for flood rescues [and] with the busiest areas being Strathfield, Greenacre and Fairfield.
‘We have 57 jobs outstanding at the moment across the Sydney area.’
Most requests involved flood rescues, inundated properties, leaking roofs and fallen trees.
Thousands of commuters were also stranded on major arterial roads, including Anzac Bridge, and parts of Parramatta Road were closed.
The weather also prompted an urgent shark warning from NSW SharkSmart, after recent attacks following severe rainfall.
‘Increased shark activity is likely,’ they said on social media.
‘Murky waters after heavy rain can make conditions ideal for ambush predators. This may increase your chance of encountering a shark.
‘Heavy rain can also flush nutrients, fish and bull sharks out of rivers and estuaries, and may result in more bull shark activity along our beaches.’
