Engineers have completed repairs to a major water main which burst, leaving more than 250,000 residents without water for hours – but clean up will cause traffic restrictions for two weeks.
A 36-inch water main burst in Milngavie, East Dunbartonshire, on Tuesday afternoon and led to flooding in the area – as well as interrupting supplies for thousands of customers in parts of Glasgow.
As a result, Auchenhowie Road in the East Dunbartonshire town burst open due to pressure.
Scottish Water confirmed on Thursday that teams had worked around the clock to fix the water main and following a major excavation to remove the huge Victorian pipe, the new section of pipe has now been installed and work has begun to recharge this section of the network.
It added that due to the “significant damage” caused to the road and surrounding area, it will focus on carrying out the substantial reinstatement and clean-up of the affected area.
Georgina Reid, Scottish Water’s corporate affairs manager for the west, said: “We are delighted that our teams have managed to complete the repair and can now focus on reinstating the damage and getting the roads open as quickly as possible.
“We are acutely aware how busy this stretch of road is, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this has caused.
“This has been a significant incident and we really appreciate the patience and understanding shown by our customers while we worked to fix it.
“Scottish Water operatives have worked through the night with Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN) due to the presence of high voltage power cables in the area of excavation, with final repairs being completed early this afternoon.”
Traffic management will be in place for approximately two weeks while this work is carried out and drivers are being warned that Glasgow Road will remain closed, with access only available on the north side via Strathblane Road and on the south side via Burnbrae Roundabout.
Auchenhowie Road currently remains closed, but it is anticipated this will change some time on Friday, January 27 when one lane will be open under two-way traffic lights.
Local diversions will be in place and road users are urged to follow all signage while some delays can be expected during peak times.
Ms Reid added: “Our teams will work through the nights and weekends to carry out these reinstatement works, and we estimate that this could take up to two weeks to finish and remove the traffic diversions.
“This may mean some local residents may notice increased activity and noise during the day and night and we are sorry for the further inconvenience and disruption that this may cause.”
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