ENGINEERS are repairing part of a busy Hampshire road amid claims the carriageway has collapsed.

People living near the B3053 near Fawley say subsidence has created a water-filled depression which is about 8ft long and nearly 2ft wide.

Hampshire County Council has embarked on an emergency repair project.

Temporary traffic lights have been installed on the B3053, reducing it to a single carriageway, while engineers prepare to pump out the floodwater and carry out any necessary work.

The area affected is the northbound carriageway at the bottom of Ashdown Hill.

People living in the area are blaming a combination of heavy rain and damage caused to the road by HGVs operating in the area.

A woman living said last night the road had "collapsed".

She added: "Problems started at 9am when a drain near my property flooded. By 10.30am the drain had collapsed.

"The incident has created a 'ravine' about 8ft long and more than 1ft wide - half the carriageway has subsided and disappeared. No-one knows exactly how deep it is because it's full of water.

"I'm surprised it hasn't caused any accidents - cars were going into the dip and bouncing out the other side."

A Hampshire County Council spokesperson said: “There is a blocked gully and catch pit on the northbound carriageway of the B3053 near Fawley is causing surface flooding issues.

"The road has not collapsed.

"A highways engineer has been on site today and a contractor is now on the scene to deal with the issue.

"The northbound carriageway is closed and temporary traffic lights will be in place until the issue is resolved."