It's been 2 years since the road cave-in was found in the residential area of Chofu, Tokyo on the 18th.
In the area directly above where the underground tunnel construction that is believed to be the cause was being carried out, about half of the approximately 30 households that were targeted were either buying their homes or temporarily relocating in preparation for the ground repair work being carried out by the expressway company. I understand that you agreed to the negotiation.
On the other hand, residents in the vicinity of the site have voiced their concerns about the construction.
Since October 18, 2018, a series of cave-ins and cavities have been found in a residential area of Chofu City. increase.
The company has a policy of repairing the ground directly above the tunnel, and has been negotiating to purchase or temporarily relocate about 30 households directly above.
According to the company, about half of the households have responded to the purchase or temporary relocation so far, and residents have begun to move on site.
The company hopes to start demolition work on the house from November onwards, as soon as preparations are complete.
However, there are still residents in the surrounding areas who have not responded to negotiations for temporary relocation of their homes, and residents in the surrounding areas have expressed concerns about the impact of ground repair work on their lives due to vibration and noise, as well as the impact of construction on groundwater. Concerns are being raised.
The East Japan Expressway has indicated a policy to start repair work as early as next spring, saying, ``We apologize for the inconvenience and concern for the residents. We will try to minimize the impact as much as possible."
On the other hand, regarding the tunnel construction of the "Tokyo Outer Ring Road", in February this year, the Tokyo District Court made a decision to order the suspension of construction in some sections including the area where the cave-in, and it is not possible to restart in this section. No prospects.
Residents who decided to move "I'm tired of the situation with no end in sight"
Two years ago, a subsidence was found in a road in Chofu City, Tokyo, and some people decided to leave the familiar land in the residential area directly above the tunnel construction that was said to be the cause.
Among them, Mayo Chikada (75), who lives in a house about 70 meters away from the place where the road collapsed, decided to move to another area next spring.
Ms. Chikada has been living on this land for over 40 years since her marriage, and 15 years ago she rebuilt her house and lived with her family.
However, a year ago, a cave-in was found in the road near her house, and further investigation revealed a void in the ground near her house.
The East Japan Expressway, which carried out tunnel construction, will repair the ground in a part of the area directly above the tunnel due to the effects of the construction, and will repair it over about two years. We are currently negotiating a relocation or purchase.
At first, Ms. Chikada was thinking of moving back temporarily due to her affection for the area she was used to living in.
However, she said she was not sure that the construction would be completed in the timeframe the contractor explained and that she decided to move to another area because she was tired of the seemingly endless situation.
Mr. Chikada said, "It's a comfortable place to live and I have many memories, so I have a strong desire to continue living here, but we don't have the time or mental strength to stay here forever. We've spent a lot of energy over the past two years, and we've had a lot of road collapses. It made me want to live away from problems," he said.
On the other hand, Mr. Chikada and the local people have continued to ask the operator for an explanation of the implementation status and risks of the underground tunnel construction since before the road subsidence was discovered.
However, it is pointed out that there was no sufficient explanation in advance about the characteristics of the ground and the associated construction risks that were clarified by the contractor after the cave-in was found.
Mr. Chikada said, ``I kept telling him that there was a vibration that pushed up from the bottom, and that it was strange, but in the end, he didn't take any countermeasures until a cave-in occurred. I feel that I didn't feel like telling the risk," he said.