Works to be carried out on unrecorded mine shaft discovered under major East Lothian road

An unrecorded mine shaft has been discovered under a major East Lothian road. PIC: www.gov.uk

Works will begin to stabilise the shaft, for which there are no records of depth, location or information of previous wors, under the B1361 road in Prestonpans and the adjacent footpath once all the relevant planning and building consents have been approved.

The existing traffic management system will continue throughout the works which will avoid the need for a full road closure.

This is how many Edinburgh football pitches have closed in the last 20 years

Michael Owens, from the Coal Authority’s Public Safety and Subsidence Team, said: "This is an unrecorded coal mine shaft, meaning we hold no records of the depth, location or any specific information regarding the previous treatment method.

"The mine shaft is located under a road which has live services beneath, including a medium pressure gas main that will need to be isolated and supported during works.

"This coupled with the close proximity to a Category B listed wall and protected trees, meant we’ve had to coordinate our efforts alongside various stakeholders to design a suitable solution.

"The reinforced concrete cap will be constructed to withstand all traffic, with East Lothian Council responsible for overseeing the reinstatement of the road.

"It is inevitable that when an unrecorded mine shaft is discovered, the local community will be inconvenienced. The Coal Authority sincerely apologises for this disruption and would like to thank the local community for their continued patience while the works are being carried out."

East Lothian Council’s Service Manager for Roads, Alan Stubbs, said: “This has been a challenging situation however our priority is to ensure the safety of all road users. We continue to work with the Coal Authority to ensure all required consents are granted to achieve a timely completion.”