Work on road shut for months could run until July

Work on a road shut last October for major sewer repairs looks set to continue until the end of July, Thames Water said.

The junction of Bennet Road and the A33 in Reading has been closed since 18 October after a trunk sewer, about 1m (41in) wide, collapsed.

Thames Water said it hopes a single lane turning left out of Bennet Road onto the A33 will be opened in mid-June but that will be dependent on safety assessments.

A spokesperson for the company said it understood people's frustration but that the project is "an exceptionally complex repair with multiple issues emerging as we progress with the work."

They include the depth of the sewer, unstable ground conditions, high groundwater levels and a high-voltage cable that had to be moved.

To mitigate the problems, engineers have had to dig a shaft about 10.5m (34ft) deep as part of the "very dangerous" work.

A sinkhole was found during investigation work and a second, which Thames Water said is "probably linked, has been found.

"There was no indication that this would be more than a repair on a major sewer, until we began to dig down, or of the extent of the issues we would find," the spokesperson added.

"It is very difficult to determine the cause of either sinkhole. Our dedicated team is now working to ensure the long-term stability and safety of that area as well as repairing our sewer.

"In addition to the collapsed sewer and the sinkhole, the ground beneath the sewer is also incredibly soft and will need additional stabilisation work."