Roadworks for town centre sinkhole on Queen's Road, Newark update by Nottinghamshire County Council

Roadworks are expected to last weeks after a sinkhole forced a road to close.

Queen's Road, Newark from where it meets Northgate to Lovers Lane and Kings Road will likely remain closed until May 7 while a sinkhole investigation and repairs are undertaken.

The hole — estimated to be roughly 7ft deep — formed after a dip in the road, just off the Lovers Lane roundabout, began to subside and cracks appeared on the road over the weekend.

A member of the public reported the issue to Nottinghamshire County Council which closed the road to traffic on Tuesday (April 18).

Traffic is being diverted via Northgate, Northern Road and Sleaford Road, back to Queen's Road and vice versa.

The council is understood to be working with utility providers to ensure services are not disrupted.

A Nottinghamshire County Council spokesperson said: “We were made aware of an issue on Queen's Road, Newark, where a hole has appeared in the road.

“We have made the area safe and have a team on site to establish the cause of the collapse.

“We thank residents and road users in the area for their patience and will be able to let them know about plans for repair once investigations are complete.

"We understand that it will cause disruption and to ask road users to avoid the area if possible."