Tipner Fire: Eastern Road to remain fully open tomorrow as M275 closures continue

Portsmouth City has confirmed that plans to reinstate the single lane closure on the southbound carriage way to allow Southern Water to complete its work to repair and upgrade the sewer network will now no longer take place.

It comes after the police confirmed there was too much smoke from the ongoing fire at the TJ Waste in Tipner Lane blowing across the motorway to allow it to safely open.

However the decision to keep the road closed tomorrow will delay Southern Water’s original plan to reopen Eastern Road fully on Monday, with one lane needing to be again closed that day to allow the last of the repair works to take place.

Meanwhile, fire crews remain at the site of the fire this morning which started in a two-storey building - with between 60 and 100 tonnes of waste alight.

Police are asking people to make alternative travel plans while the M275 remains closed, with much of the city in traffic chaos for most of the day as the result of two separate closures.

A spokesperson said: “We appreciate this may be frustrating, but the safety of people using the road is our top priority and the smoke has been deemed too thick for the safe use of the M275 at the current time. We expect the closures to be in place until tomorrow and will keep you updated.”