Eastern Road: Southern Water issue crucial update on Portsmouth road with sewage pipe repair works ongoing

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 said phase one of the closure - on the southbound carriageway between the Farlington roundabout and Anchorage Road - is still set to finish at the original time of 8pm on Friday (February 9). They added that the dates and times for the second phases of the works have yet to be confirmed. Workers have overseen the first 200 metres of piping, but there is still 300 metres to go.

Alex Saunders, head of wastewater networks 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.

Traffic yesterday for commuters was chaotic, with significant tailbacks and delays along the A27 at morning rush hour. As previously reported, Southern Water is spending £1m as part of the re-lining project.