Landslip in St Denys not fixed for months after collapse

Rafal Krasowski is greeted by the unsightly view of crumbled concrete and debris outside his front door every morning.

The 39-year-old said workmen have only visited the site a handful of times since the collapse in December of last year.

“They have only come here to put the fence and scaffolding up”, he explained.

A large chunk of the pavement collapsed because of the landslip, forcing the closure of one lane in St Denys Road to accommodate pedestrians and repair work.

Rafal is frustrated by the increased volume of traffic on the road.

He also fears for the safety of his two dogs, who have previously escaped onto the main road as the fencing was not secured.

He said: “It is not safe, and I now must be very careful with my dogs when I go outside.

“I was at work when the landslip happened, but I thought it was going to be fixed around Christmas time.

“It is strange nothing is being done as everyone is affected by it, not just us residents.

“There are now longer queues of traffic outside, more than there was before, and it is horrible.”

Fellow resident of the block of flats, Robin Burt, agreed that the volume of traffic has worsened since the lane was closed.

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The 47-year-old, who has lived there since 2006, said: “There are always traffic jams on St Denys Road, but it does seem even worse now.

“There are more vehicles idling.

“I have seen no one here doing the repairs, apart from when the scaffolding was put up.

“It is annoying that this has been going on.”

Disputes have been ongoing while the ownership of the works was discussed.

But Southampton City Council has confirmed the pavement will be repaired – in the summer.

The roadworks in St Denys Road (Image: Newsquest)

The lack of progression with the works is “having a detrimental effect on air quality in St Denys”, according to Katherine Barbour, green councillor for Portswood.

She has seen drivers queue for up to 40 minutes to cross the bridge which is “deteriorating”.

Cllr Barbour said: “The impact on this neighbourhood is enormous, in poorer air quality, lost productivity and frayed tempers.

“The council has had five months to bring parties together to sort this and there is still not a resolution with dates set out.”

The area has been plagued by roadworks for several months, but the end is not in sight as the repairs to the bridge are expected to last six to eight weeks this summer.

A specific date is yet to be confirmed by the council.

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Councillor Eamonn Keogh, cabinet member for transport, said the council has been working closely with Network Rail and other stakeholders to ensure repairs are undertaken.

He said: “Works haven’t been able to take place up to now due to a complex mix of liability and underground services relocation requirements that needed resolving. “It was apparent from the outset that a key constraint was to safely manage the reinstatement of high voltage and low voltage electricity mains that were affected by the collapse of the wall and ground.”

Cllr Keogh added: “There will be several weeks of on-site works following commencement.

“Dates are to be advised that will minimise the effect on road users, together with ensuring residents experience as little disruption as possible due to any diversionary works or short-term power outages while repairs occur.

“In the meantime, the council is conscious of how traffic can occasionally build-up approaching the St Denys Road junction, so has done all it can to adjust traffic signal timings and is routinely monitoring the situation daily.”