Swinton flooding problem set to be resolved
Coun Ken Wyatt pictured at Swinton's flood prone junction on Station Road and below evidence that the problem has persisted for decades.
WORK is set to begin to resolve a flooding problem in Swinton which has caused a traffic nightmare for motorists for almost a century.
Mild rainfall can cause drains to overflow into the busy junction at Queen Street and Station Street leaving as much as a foot of standing water on the surface.
It is believed the problem has persisted for decades.
But council workmen are now to dig the road up to pinpoint the source of the flooding and hopefully put an end to it for good.
The work is expected to cause temporary traffic disruptions - but town councillor Ken Wyatt welcomed the move.
Coun Wyatt, who released a photo this week showing the area under water in the 1930s, said: “It is a main junction in the town and even with a little rain the drains overflow.
“It is also on a main walking route to school but when it floods it makes it difficult to cross safely.
“Sometimes flooding is unavoidable because of very heavy rainfall. But I am hopeful that this work will at least stop the flooding happening so often.”
He added: “The work will cause a short-term disruption but will hopefully provide a long-term solution for the town.”
A spokesperson for Rotherham Council said: “On Sunday, February 17, Queen Street will close to allow the authority to uncover a drainage chamber buried in the middle of the road junction, which Streetpride engineers believe is the source of the problem.
“Previous investigations have revealed that road gullies in the area discharge into the chamber, and that despite being jetted out and cleared on several previous occasions, it quickly blocks again.
“The excavation works to uncover the chamber will involve significant disruption to traffic so they will be carried out by Rotherham Streetpride on a Sunday during the half-term school holidays.
“The end of Queen Street will be closed to vehicles, the pedestrian crossing lights will be turned off and vehicular traffic will be controlled on Station Street and Church Street by using temporary two-way traffic signals.”
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Sunday 19 May 2013
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