Burst water main closes major road

A BURST water main which badly damaged one of Huddersfield’s major roads caused a headache for motorists yesterday.

Yorkshire Water was alerted at around 7am to the incident on Wakefield Road, Moldgreen, near Ravensknowle Park.

The force of the burst caused water to break through the road surface, leaving huge holes in the bus lane.

Police were called to manage traffic and the road was shut in both directions during rushhour. Traffic was diverted at the junction with Grosvenor Road and Dalton Green Lane and the Waterloo-bound side reopened in the morning with the other side by lunchtime.

The road surface was damaged in three areas and engineers said the mains repair could take 24 hours.

Residents in the area reported low water pressure and emergency engineers from Yorkshire Water were sent to the scene and isolated the supply.

Yorkshire Water diverted supplies and it is thought no homes or businesses lost water.

A Yorkshire Water spokesman said: “Our technicians and a repair team from our contractors, Morrison Utility Services, dealt with a burst water main in Wakefield Road.

“We expect the repair is likely to take at least 24 hours and the repairs to the damaged road surface and footpath may take longer.

“We apologise for any traffic delays and advise motorists to allow extra time to travel to the area.”