Reading: Road Closure Extended

27 May 2014, 14:26 | Updated: 27 May 2014, 14:31

Thames Water says the damaged Sewer on A4 Bath Road was worse than they expected. This is their statement.

Thames Water engineers have been working around the clock to repair more than 20 metres of damaged sewer deep under the Bath Road.
 
The full extent of the damage was unclear until the team uncovered the collapsed pipe, nearly six metres deep, and work must now continue into next week to finish the repair. The road is now expected to reopen on Monday, June 2.
 
Thames Water operations specialist Bob Cunningham said: "We're sorry that we've got to keep the road closed, but it's vital we do this job properly. It's taken longer than we ever expected as the extent of the damage couldn?t be determined until we'd dug down.
 
"More than 20 metres of pipework has had to be replaced which has been a huge task. We're working extended hours seven days a week as we know the road closure is so disruptive, but unfortunately we still need a bit more time."
 
The sewer collapse was first identified during a routine inspection and the pipe has to be repaired to prevent waste water backing up into nearby homes and businesses.
 
A temporary over ground pipe is currently in place so the sewer network can still operate as normal while the repair work carries on.
 
The job has involved workers digging out the old pipe, sometimes by hand, until they reach a point where it is no longer broken to connect a new pipe. After this the five and a half metre deep hole will be filled in and the road surface replaced.