BARGATES in Christchurch has reopened following a one lane closure caused by a collapsed sewer – however crews will return in January.

The road was closed from Tuesday, November 23, until Friday, December 3 after emergency repairs were required on a collapsed sewer.

A single lane on Bargates was closed inbound from Stour Road to Fountain Way.

However, Wessex Water confirmed its crews will need to return in January to carry out a permanent repair.

A spokesperson said: “The collapsed sewer is located close to buildings and 5.4 metres below ground, so we decided to install temporary overland pipes to maintain customers’ sewerage services and avoid a lengthy road closure over Christmas.

“The temporary pipework will remain in place and will be checked daily before we return to repair the sewer permanently, work which is likely to start in mid-January 2022. We’ll be writing to customers affected once dates and details have been finalised.

“We thank residents and road users for their cooperation and apologise again for the inconvenience.”

Earlier in November, a section of the nearby Barrack Road was also closed because of a collapsed sewer.

Wessex Water added the two incidents were not related.