Ombersley Road closure to be lifted (From Worcester News)

Severn Trent completes Barbourne sewer works

10:21am Friday 22nd March 2013 in News By Sarah Davies

Ombersley Road closure to be lifted

UPDATE: 1.45pm - residents have reported the road has been reopened.

WEEKS of traffic problems for commuters and residents will end today following the completion of a £300,000 project to tackle flooding.

Ombersley Road in Worcester has been partially shut off since February 17 while Severn Trent Water carried out work to replace sewers in Barbourne and install a new pumping station.

This morning, the water board confirmed it has finished the project and that the diversions and temporary traffic lights currently in place will be removed before 4pm.

News of the five-week closure sparked outrage among some nearby residents and business owners who feared congestion caused by the roadworks would lead to chaos.

Chris Kelsey, solution manager at Severn Trent Water, thanked people for their patience.

He said: “We recognise that sewer flooding is distressing for those affected, which is why we have invested more than £300,000 in improving the sewer system on Barbourne Road and Sunnyside Road.

“Working together with our contractors Morgan Sindall, over the past five weeks we have installed more than 130 metres of brand new pipes and constructed a small pumping station to help our sewers deal more effectively with heavy rainfall.

“We’re very grateful for the patience of local residents who may have been affected while we’ve carried out this work.”

Jon Fraser, Worcestershire County Council's Highways Manager, said: "We would like to thank residents and road users for their patience during the important Severn Trent works that have now been completed on schedule.

"As with any work of this nature there is always going to be some inconvenience for motorists, but we liaised closely with the utility company to arrange the works at the best possible time to minimise disruption to traffic as much as possible."

Related Severn Trent works will continue in Sunnyside Road until June.