WORK to repair a sewer pipe in Shore Road, which initially started in May and was supposed to last two days, is to continue into late July.
Wessex Water began repairs to the damaged sewer pipe in late May and gave it an extension of two weeks due to “difficult ground conditions”.
But now Wessex Water has confirmed repairs will last until late July, after deciding to re-line the pipe after work revealed it was hampered by thick concrete.
Temporary traffic lights will remain in place and will continue to be manually controlled.
Cars stretching all the way back to Sandbanks have been seen lately due to the work, as the busy summer period looms.
Read more: Delays for the next two days in Shore Road in Poole
Wessex Water say re-lining the pipe will increase its life by “at least 50 years” after work near the junction of Haven Road was hampered by thick concrete surrounding the sewer and nearby gas mains.
A Wessex Water spokesperson said: “Thick layers of concrete below ground have made it difficult to precisely isolate and repair the leak, so we believe the best and safest option is to re-line the pipe.
“This will prolong the life of the sewer by at least 50 years and reduce the risk of collapse, flooding and potential environmental damage.
“While the latest ‘no-dig’ technology means we’ll be able to do this without further deep excavations in the road, unfortunately we won’t be able to finish as quickly as we had hoped.”
Work on the sewer re-started on June 6 after being paused for half term and the long Jubilee weekend.
Read more: Sewerage repairs in Shore Road, Poole, going on for two weeks
Wessex Water has written to residents throughout the process and there has been no interruption to their water or sewerage services.
Specialist sewer lining equipment has been ordered from overseas, so there may be periods of inactivity on site until this arrives.
The spokesperson added: “We appreciate the Shore Road repair continues to impact road users, visitors and the community and we’ll do everything we can to complete work as quickly as possible.”
Wessex Water is avoiding carrying out work at night to minimise noise disruption, and customers can continue to use their sewerage services as normal.
Cllr Mohan Iyengar said: "Anything stretching through July won’t be acceptable. We’ll have traffic chaos for residents and visitors.
"Important though the work is, I’ll be asking Wessex Water how else it can be done to lessen the impact."
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