traffic chaos yesterday - its only rain!

The trams got stuck at Gleadless because the road was flooded.

Trains got stuck outside sheffield because the embankment collapsed

and the motorways came to a standstill.

You would think in this country, with all the practice, we could cope with rain! although I suppose there was quite a bit of it!!!!:D

I remember when the bridge on Upwell street used to flood with the slightest drizzle causing chaos. Took them years to come up with a solution for that.

Upwell Street was clear yesterday - makes you wonder how'd we cope if we had real rain like in Bangladesh, India and the like.

Small mercies

I had to head out of town and London Road and Abbeydale Road were flooded (hence the ark thread yesterday!) it was quite a surprise coming over a rise and seeing a flooded dip with cars floating in it! Perhaps more of a problem long term though is that the back presure from the main sewers has taken out the road around drain gratings :o

I heard last night that the amount of rain that fell yesterday and the night before was equivalent to that usually expected in 6 weeks (I assume the summer - they didn't state). Anyway I lot more than usual - so that's probably why it caused the problems it did.

Originally posted by Lickszz
I remember when the bridge on Upwell street used to flood with the slightest drizzle causing chaos. Took them years to come up with a solution for that.

I remember a really bad storm on the day Diana died. There was the usual flood under the bridge on Upwell Street and a massive queue of cars waiting to get through.

When the far side was clear it was my turn I gingerly made my way though but the engine flooded just on the other side.

But some moron decided not to wait until I was clear and to drive up my backside. He had to stop and the water just rose and rose at a phenominal speed. As I got my car started again he had to climb out of his window and onto the roof! A few minutes later it was completely submerged!

My Mum couldn't get to work yesterday cos Malin Bridge was flooded.

She was told by her boss not to bother even attempting to get to work due to the flooding.

Originally posted by Lickszz
I remember when the bridge on Upwell street used to flood with the slightest drizzle causing chaos. Took them years to come up with a solution for that.

A local councillor criticised the council a while ago for taking too long to fix that problem. He said had it occured on Ecclesall Road, it would have been fixed right away.

But as you wrote, the problem was eventually fixed...or moved elsewhere at least. Because flooding still occurs under the same railway line, but on the next bridge towards town - Newhall Road!

I made it all the way to Telford through the storm yesterday, took me 45 mins longer than usual as people seem to prefer driving slowly in the overtaking lane to pulling back into the left hand lane more when it's wet.

Originally posted by Abdul

But as you wrote, the problem was eventually fixed...or moved elsewhere at least. Because flooding still occurs under the same railway line, but on the next bridge towards town - Newhall Road!


The problem on Upwell St. (aptly named) was the culvert carrying Bagley Dyke. It had partly collapsed and took a few months to rebuild...there was a temporary wooden bridge over the culvert. I think the problem at Newhall Road is down to blocked gullies, I used to walk that way to work in the seventies and can't remember it ever flooding in those days.

Both these roads had to be significantly lowered in the early 1900s to allow the old double- decker trams to pass under the railway.

Originally posted by LoopyLou
Trains got stuck outside sheffield because the embankment collapsed

Where was this? I remember a landslip stopping trains by Twentywell Lane a few years ago. I know the reasons for that happening, but the changes made to prevent it happening again coincided with the road flooding under heavy rain - not sure if the two are connected.

Originally posted by Rich
My Mum couldn't get to work yesterday cos Malin Bridge was flooded.

She was told by her boss not to bother even attempting to get to work due to the flooding.

Was it?

I work at malin bridge and our building was kinda damp - but the road was blissfully clear (obviously caused by hold-ups further down)

Originally posted by Chris
Where was this? I remember a landslip stopping trains by Twentywell Lane a few years ago. I know the reasons for that happening, but the changes made to prevent it happening again coincided with the road flooding under heavy rain - not sure if the two are connected.

No, there was no landslip this time as far as I am aware. There was flooding in Bradway Tunnel and also at Millhouses. Line through Millhouses reopened 8:20am and the tunnel re-opened at 9am. There was also minor flooding at Wombwell near Barnsley but this just delayed trains, as they could run through but only at low speed. About 11am the line to Derby was closed by flooding at Belper (near Derby) for about an hour.

A lot of money was spent improving the embankment, drainage etc at Bradway a few years ago after a landslide caused a derailment. The reason for the road regularly flooding is the drains are always blocked with leaves and soil and stuff.

Originally posted by Abdul
A local councillor criticised the council a while ago for taking too long to fix that problem. He said had it occured on Ecclesall Road, it would have been fixed right away.

But as you wrote, the problem was eventually fixed...or moved elsewhere at least. Because flooding still occurs under the same railway line, but on the next bridge towards town - Newhall Road!

I saw the pictures of the flood on Newhall Road in the Star. Does it always flood like this since the Upwell problem was rectified?

Originally posted by Lickszz
I saw the pictures of the flood on Newhall Road in the Star. Does it always flood like this since the Upwell problem was rectified?

The flooding of Newhall Road at the first sign of rain was happening well before Upwell Street was fixed.

As Greybeard mentioned in his post above, the problem is down to blocked gullies, and nothing to do with repairs on Upwell Street!


Originally posted by Greybeard
Both these roads had to be significantly lowered in the early 1900s to allow the old double- decker trams to pass under the railway.

Aha! I wondered why Upwell Street took a nasty dip before it went under the bridge. I guess it's the same for the railway bridge over Worksop Road in Attercliffe, as you head towards the Fire Station after you pass the Don Valley Stadium.

I see. In that case I mis-understood your earlier post in which you seemed to be indicating that the problem was moved from Upwell location to Newhall.

On numerous occasions years ago when Upwell street was flooded I have taken Newhall Road as an alternative route and it never seemed to be flooded like it was ther other day.