subject: The German Pothole [print this page] The German Pothole The German Pothole
Winter 2009 brought harsh weather conditions, and the ice and snow caused potholes in the concrete on our roads. Most of these have now been fixed, eleven months later, but caused massive problems for our vehicles, putting lots of people out of pocket. Windscreens smashed, alignment was knocked out and accidents caused severely impacted on peoples Car Insurance Quotes through the year.
We thought we had it bad. Imagine if you live in the German town of Schmalkalden, when a massive pothole' opened up in the middle of the night, spanning forty metres wide, and an astonishing twenty metres deep. Cars dangled over the edge, and one car was swallowed completely, with a row of garages balanced precariously, in danger of falling in.
Homeowners from twenty three of the nearest buildings were evacuated immediately, and haven't been able to return to their homes as police and investigators try to work out where the hole came from, and what the problem is.
Authorities have said that it is possible for the rock formations under the concrete to have shifted, causing the massive hole, but this is not confirmed. This is a standard response with sinkholes, which can appear at any time for now reason. This generally happens when towns are built on limestone or other rock that can be dissolved by water over a gradual time. They plan to fill the hole with gravel to protect residents and pedestrians, and luckily no one was killed, or even injured in the formation of the sink hole.
