Eastern Road: A2030 in Portsmouth to shut soon for Southern Water sewer works - when will it close and reopen

The project is starting this Saturday (March 16) at 8am and is expected to last until March 23. Leaks were discovered along the sewer pipe on the southbound route on several occasions. Huge tailbacks were caused around the major road at different points over the past few months.

The whole project involves 500-metre-long stretch of sewer being relined to stop repeated issues. Southern Water said re-lining "requires a shorter timeframe than a normal repair, requiring less digging and posing less possible disruptive to commuters and the local community". They added that lining material is fed through isolated holes in the stretch of underground pipe and heated in order to seal them. Repairs will be made to the 300 metre long area.

Alex Saunders, Southern Water’s head of wastewater networks, said: “We apologise for any the disruption this will cause residents, businesses and commuters – but are taking this action now to avoid more challenging times in the future. We will continue to update our website with any further information.”

Eastern Road's A2030 southbound carriageway between the Farlington roundabout and Anchorage Road was previously shut between February 3 and 9. A 200 metre long stretch was repaired last month.

Southern Water said its teams would work 24/7 throughout the night in a safe manner to minimise the disruption for road users. A date was previously agreed with the gas utility company SGN to halt its infrastructure upgrade project in London Road, Hilsea, so the Eastern Road repairs could be carried out. Portsmouth City Council has been liaising with both companies so the repair works don't take place at the same time.

An SGN spokesperson previously told The News: "To ensure Southern Water’s next phase of water pipe repairs can continue with minimal impact to local traffic, we’ve agreed to pause our work again and remove all temporary traffic management from our site from Saturday 16 March. We will then return to London Road once Southern Water have completed their work in Eastern Road." The northbound carriageway will remain open throughout the works.