WORK to fix the sinkhole in Newport is progressing, but contractors are being hampered by the condition of the culvert.

Cromwell Road, in the Lliswerry area of the city, has been closed since the discovery of a sinkhole beneath the road on September 8.

Contractors are schedued by the end of today (September 22) to have finished lining the collapsed culvert with heavy duty plastic pipe.

"It is not the simple task our armchair experts would have you believe," said cllr Allan Morris, who has been updating residents on the work.

"Both sides of the culvert are different and the condition of the brickwork and cement made manual inspection difficult.
"Add to that this weeks exceptional high tides and a few personnel issues and things get even more complicated.

"However, things are happening."

The next phase will be to build a new manhole around the joined sections of the pipe and then the hole itself will be backfilled with concrete.

Cllr Morris says that, after speaking with contractors, he was told "We want it open as soon as you do."