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Japan’s mega-pothole that swallowed five-lane motorway is repaired in just ONE WEEK after workers toiled 24/7 to patch it up

Workmen draw praise after striving day and night to fill in colossal chasm in city of Fukuoka’s bustling business district

A JAPANESE city has reopened a busy street that collapsed into a giant sinkhole after just a week.

The gigantic chasm, measuring around 30m (98ft) wide and 15m (49ft) deep, appeared last Tuesday the southwestern city of Fukuoka’s bustling business district, swallowing part of a five-lane street.

This massive sinkhole opened up in the street in a Japanese city a week ago
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This massive sinkhole opened up in the street in a Japanese city a week agoCredit: AP:Associated Press
Workers toiled day and night to fill the hole in in just seven days
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Workers toiled day and night to fill the hole in in just seven daysCredit: Getty Images
The road in Fukuoka is now looking as good as new after re-opening
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The road in Fukuoka is now looking as good as new after re-openingCredit: AP:Associated Press

Stoplights and sidewalks were sent tumbling more than 33ft as the earth crumbled, snarling transport and even disrupting power supply at an international airport.

The sinkhole, apparently triggered by subway construction in the area, also exposed the support columns of nearby buildings at a key traffic intersection.

But Japanese workers toiled continuously for a week, dumping huge amounts of wet cement and sand into the gaping hole.

The workmen also managed to fix electricity, gas and water lines in the same time frame, after they were all broken during the accident.

And at 5am this morning local time, Fukuoka Mayor Soichiro Takashima announced the road was open again – exactly a week after the ground began sinking.

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"We're very sorry for causing great trouble," Takashima said, noting that a ban on access to surrounding buildings had now been lifted.

Miraculously, no one was hurt in the accident in Fukuoka, the biggest city on Japan’s southernmost main island of Kyushu.

Many on social media expressed amazement at the quick recovery.

"I'm surprised the road reopened in a week!" one Twitter user said.

Workers toiled through the night to repair all the cables and pipes under the street
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Workers toiled through the night to repair all the cables and pipes under the streetCredit: Getty Images
Repairmen poured huge amounts of sand and cement into the chasm
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Repairmen poured huge amounts of sand and cement into the chasmCredit: Getty Images
The sinkhole covered with blue sheets when restoration work was almost completed yesterday
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The sinkhole covered with blue sheets when restoration work was almost completed yesterdayCredit: Getty Images
The massive hole - said to be caused by subway construction - filled with water after opening up last week
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The massive hole - said to be caused by subway construction - filled with water after opening up last weekCredit: Getty Images

"Impressive. That was fast," said another.

Nobody was injured when the sinkhole opened before dawn last week, but several high-rise office buildings teetered dangerously close to the edge of the growing abyss.

TV footage showed burst water mains spewing a torrent of muddy water into the hole.

City officials said at the time that subway construction below the city’s street was the cause of the problem.

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