TWO gaping holes which appeared next to a road in Waterfoot are finally set to be repaired after 112 years.

The ‘dangerous eyesore’ in The Glen, on the land adjoining Glen Terrace, was created following an accident with a boiler in February 1902.

The boiler was being moved by two engines when the bridge over the River Irwell collapsed under the 22-tonne weight, leaving it at a 45-degree angle, while one of the engines transporting it sank to the bottom.

A similar accident occurred in 1934, when a heavy motor lorry turned in front of Glen Terrace and sank into the ground.

Then in 1997, a car fell through the bridge and the resulting hole has still not been repaired.

Now, calls from Rossendale MP Jake Berry have prompted the Environment Agency into pledging £25,000 for the demolition of the bridge, providing another body agrees to pay for fixing it.

Mr Berry said he was contacted 12 months ago by concerned residents of Glen Terrace, and has since been campaigning to have it fixed.

He said: “I’m really pleased that the Environment Agency has stepped in to help resolve what has been a very long and drawn-out issue for everyone in the Glen.

“I hope now that this dangerous eyesore can be made safe again.”

When concerned residents made calls for the gaping cavities to be fixed in 2006, Lancashire County Council, which is in charge of highways in the Valley, said the land was not its responsibility.

A County Hall spokesman said at the time that the land was privately owned, adding that the council had installed barriers to prevent pedestrians walking on the unsafe area.