Portsmouth's Eastern Road closed for longer than planned as Southern Water find second sewage leak - drivers delayed

The southbound lane of Eastern Road has been shut since Thursday, December 14 while engineers work to fix a burst sewer. The incident happened on December 6 and severe traffic delays have since been a frequent occurrence.

On Saturday, December 16, Southern Water – the company responsible for the repairs – said that it hoped to complete the project that evening. However, a second leak was discovered and the water service provider announced that the route will remain shut until at least Wednesday, December 20. Commuters are facing disruption this morning as a result.

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Traffic monitoring service Romanse reports: “#A27 Westbound - approx 25-minute delays between A3023 Langstone Rbt #Langstone and #A27/Portsbridge Rbt #Hilsea due to the closure of southbound A2030 Eastern Rd.”

In a statement on its website, a spokesperson for Southern Water said: “We completed repairs to a burst sewer pipe in Eastern Road yesterday evening. Unfortunately another leak on a nearby section has been detected when bringing the pipe back into service. We’ve immediately started further work on excavating the pipe to confirm the location of the leak and repair it.

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"We’re sorry to say this will mean the road closure currently in place will likely continue until the middle of Wednesday morning (December 20). We know the ongoing repairs can be frustrating and we again apologise for the disruption to all residents, businesses and drivers.

"The repairs are urgent to protect the environment and services to local homes. We’re aware there have been repeated issues on this section of pipework and a longer term solution will be identified in the new year to further protect the environment and avoid more disruption in future.”