Portsmouth traffic: Lane closures scheduled on London Road due to frequent "gas escapes" - when and how long

Maintenance company SGN have reported problems along London Road in Hilsea. Lane closures have been a frequent occurrence on the route due to infrastructure issues, with work being carried out for the best part of 12 months.

SGN said: “Following further gas escapes identified on the gas mains along London Road in Hilsea, we will be replacing all of the old metallic gas pipes with new plastic pipes to ensure we can continue to provide a safe and efficient gas supply to the community. By replacing the old metal pipes we can provide a permanent solution to gas leaks on these mains in the future.

The lane closures for the pipe replacement work will start next work, with engineers needing to plan the project by conducting camera surveys and other investigations. “Due to the location of the gas pipes in the road, traffic management measures will be required around our survey locations,” they added. “To help minimise the disruption for road users, we’ve planned the surveys in multiple phases.”

Phase One

The bus lane on London Road was temporarily closed yesterday (November 6), and will be shut for a few days. Work will be carried out between the Melted Sandwich shop to outside Parade Court.

Phase Two

Next Monday, November 11, the northbound lane of London Road will be shut. Engineers will be working on a small section of road outside the Shell garage.

Phase Three

A bus lane will be temporarily closed in Northern Parade, with the bus stop not being usable on the junction of London Road. “We’ll be working along a section of Northern Parade from the junction of Hilsea Crescent to the junction of London Road,” SGN said.

Phase Four

“Military Road will be temporarily closed at its junction with London Road,” SGN said. “There will be no vehicle access in and out of Military Road.”

A lane will be closed to northbound traffic on London Road from the end of the bus stop outside Southdown View to approximately 10m past Military Road.

SGN has apologised to motorists for the closures. They added: “We understand how disruptive ongoing gas works have been for residents and assure you we’ll be doing all we can to minimise disruption and complete our investigations as quickly as possible.

“Once we have planned the replacement work, we’ll update you accordingly here. We’re sorry for any inconvenience we may cause and thank you for your patience and understanding.”