Residents in Pembrey were left alarmed after a hole in Lando Road — which had been patched earlier in the day — collapsed, revealing what locals described as a sinkhole beneath the surface.
Photographs shared on social media showed a large void in the road surface, with the temporary repair material having given way to expose the extent of the problem underneath.
One resident reported that a driver had hit the hole earlier in the morning and had their exhaust ripped off, leaving them facing a repair bill of at least £300.
Local councillor Michael Thomas, who represents the Pembrey and Burry Port area, said Carmarthenshire County Council had previously carried out what appeared to be an emergency temporary repair — standard practice to make an area safe quickly.
However, he said it appeared the issue had either reopened or that the earlier repair had not resolved the underlying problem.
He reported the matter to the council as an emergency and stressed the seriousness of the situation. “Looking at the condition of the road surface, I do feel this will likely require more than simply filling and patching the affected area,” he said.
“It appears the section may need to be stripped back properly, with foundational support and backing inserted beneath before the surface can then be fully relaid.”
Town councillor Sharon Thomas, who contacted both South Wales Police on 101 and the Carmarthenshire County Council emergency line, said emergency workers had arrived and that temporary traffic lights would be put in place while permanent repairs were arranged.
Residents in the Pembrey and Burry Port community Facebook group had been raising concerns about the hole for several weeks, with locals saying it had been reported to the council on multiple occasions before the situation deteriorated.
Some had questioned from the outset whether the problem was a simple pothole or something more serious — a distinction that proved significant when the temporary patch failed.
Carmarthenshire County Council has confirmed that a highways team excavating Lando Road this morning discovered a broken foul sewer pipe beneath the carriageway, which caused the road structure to wash out.
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water has been notified and an inspector is due on site this evening. Remedial works are expected to be arranged and programmed by Dŵr Cymru, with repairs currently anticipated for tomorrow.
