Delays avoided despite road hole

It is thought the roadworks at Cromac Street will last a week

Traffic flowed well during the morning rush hour in Belfast despite work to repair a hole in one of the city's busiest roads.

The road collapsed at Cromac Street on Saturday. People travelling from the east and south of the city were expected to be affected by any delays.

Drivers coming from east Belfast have been advised to use the Queens Bridge rather than the Albert Bridge.

Motorists who use the Ormeau Road have been asked to find another route.

The advice appeared to have been heeded by commuters travelling in Belfast on Monday morning.

The work will last for about a week.

ALTERNATIVE TRAFFIC ROUTES Ormeau Avenue and Bedford Street East Bridge Street, Albert Bridge, Short Strand and Bridge End Hamilton Street, Franklin Street and Bedford Street

The Roads Service have put in a number of signposted diversion routes while Cromac Street remains closed.

NI Water spokesman Bill Gowdy said the road collapse was caused by an air pocket which was probably disturbed a year ago during work on the Belfast Sewers Project.

He said the depression in Cromac Street damaged an old Victorian sewer about four metres under the road.

The tarmac mostly stayed intact, but a 15 square metre hole emerged underneath the road.

Mr Gowdy said the air pocket was an "exceptional event" caused by Belfast's "unique clay geology".

The new storm-water tunnel built as part of the Belfast Sewers Project lies 15 metres beneath the surface and was not damaged.

The project remains on course to begin operating before the end of the year, said Mr Gowdy.

No infrastructure cabling was damaged by the road buckling.