Eastern Road: Southern Water say southbound carriageway on track to reopen after burst sewer - when

Repairs to the burst sewer on Eastern Road are on track to be completed.

Southern Water told The News that engineers are scheduled to complete their work at the southbound carriageway by tomorrow afternoon (January 9). One lane was initially shut on January 3 for workers to tackle the damage caused by a burst sewer main.

This followed two similar incidents in December 2023, leaving motorists faced with hours of delays, frustration and disruption. The water company previously acknowledged that “bursts have happened far too frequently” and have apologised to residents for the sewer problems on several occasions.

Drone footage from Marcin Jedrysiak showing severe traffic jams on Eastern Road last month following a burst sewer. Southern Water said they are on course to complete the latest round of repairs. Picture: Marcin Jedrysiak.placeholder image
Drone footage from Marcin Jedrysiak showing severe traffic jams on Eastern Road last month following a burst sewer. Southern Water said they are on course to complete the latest round of repairs. Picture: Marcin Jedrysiak.

They added that tankers were previously deployed to remove excess water to try and avoid flooding. This followed severe rainfall which led to key routes such as the M27 and surrounding areas to be flooded.

Drivers faced severe delays of up to an hour this morning on routes such as the A27, A3 and A3M.

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