Eastern Road: Southern Water apologises after burst sewer causes major traffic delays - route fully reopened

Engineers were deployed early this morning to fix the leak, with flooding making conditions dangerous for drivers. The southbound route between Anchorage Road and the roundabout had to be shut while repairs were carried out.

A spokesperson for the utility company said the leak did not take place in the area where the sewage pipe was re-lined. The route was closed on two separate occasions for a 500-metre-long stretch of pipework to be repairs, with the whole project costing £1m.

The spokesperson said a third phase is in the works. “Our teams were on site in the early hours of this morning, Thursday 18 April, at Eastern Road to attend to a sewer burst,” they said. “We have switched off the sewer and are diverting the flow to Cosham Pumping Station and their storm tanks.

“The area of the burst sewer is part of the scheduled third phase of re-lining of the sewer on Eastern Road. The third phase of re-lining work is being taken now to avoid more challenging times in the future. We apologise for the disruption this work has caused residents, businesses and commuters.”

Hampshire County Council Traffic & Travel reported there were delays of one hour on the A3 Southbound while the repairs were being carried out. Portsmouth City Council said the road had to be closed as conditions were not safe for drivers.