Eastern Road: Reopening of Portsmouth route delayed as Southern Water sewage repair works continue - when

Part of the main commuter road in and out of Portsmouth was shut at 8pm on Saturday (February 3) - in a bid to stop the repeated leaks which have blighted motorists. Engineers are re-lining the 500-metre-long stretch of sewer to try and stop recurring issues.

Southern Water originally said phase one of the closure - on the southbound carriageway between the Farlington roundabout and Anchorage Road - was set to finish at 8pm this evening (Friday, February 9). Despite this plan, Portsmouth City Council said the repair works for phase one will finish at 5am tomorrow morning (February 10). They added that traffic is not expected to be impacted by the change.

Alex Saunders, head of wastewater networks, previously said: “We apologise for any further 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.” The utility company added that its teams are working 24/7 through the night to fix the problems, and they are working with Portsmouth City Council and other road companies to try and minimise the impact on road users.

The date for the second phases of the works have yet to be confirmed and will be carried out after the gas repair work in London Road Hilsea is completed to ensure that two routes into the city remain clear. Southern Water workers have overseen the first 200 metres of piping, but there is still 300 metres to go.