Eastern Road: Portsmouth road remains closed whilst Southern Water complete repairs- here's when it will open

Eastern Road has had to undergo major repairs following a series of road closures due to leaks and overflows - and Southern Water put a second road closure in place since the start of the year. The closure has been in place 8am on Saturday, March 16 and the works were expected to continue until Saturday, March 23. Despite Southern Water confirming that the work being completed was on track to finish in time, an unexpected issue has prevented the road from reopening and it currently remains closed.

A statement issued by Southern Water on Saturday said: "The re-lining work of the 300-metre-long sewer is taking longer than anticipated due to unforeseen circumstances. Our teams are working throughout the day and night this weekend, to complete the repair as quickly as possible.

"This will delay the reopening of the Eastern Road, which is now scheduled for Monday 25 March. We apologise for the disruption this will cause residents, businesses and commuters. The work, which is part of a £1 million solution, is being taken now to avoid more challenging times in the future.” The 'replacement of a sewer pipe collar' is the reasoning behind the delay in reopening the road and it is now believed that the major road will reopen this evening (March 25), but a time has not been confirmed.

The road closure is part of a two-step process to resolve the ongoing issues with leaks and overflowing. The first closure took place between February 3 and February 8 as part of the process of relining a 500-metre-long stretch of sewer in a bid to stop the recurring problems of flooding and leaks. The first closure re-lined 200 metres and the current closure is finishing off the remaining section of sewer needing to be relined.

The closures have had a massive impact on commuters trying to get in and out of the city due to heavy congestion and significant delays. For more information on the ongoing work on Eastern Road, click here.