Year-Long Road Closure Sparks Driver Frustration

Thames Water has kept the junction of Bennet Road and the A33 closed for almost a year while it repairs a sinkhole after a major sewer collapse. Businesses on Bennet Road can still be reached, but drivers can't get from the road onto the A33 for the Select Car Leasing Stadium and Green Park.

The junction was first shut on 18 October last year and Thames Water has issued rolling notifications ever since. The latest notice runs until Saturday 10 October. An exit onto the A33 southbound was reopened in June, but drivers remain frustrated by repeated extensions.

Adam Quanstrom said: "It was supposed to be done on September 10, then it was extended to September 30, and unfortunately it's been extended again. Thames Water has stated it's making good progress on complex repairs following a major sewer collapse in Bennet Road, yeah right, I would take that with a pinch of salt, knowing what Thames Water are like. And it's not helped at all by roadworks nearby which were supposed to finish recently, but now will go towards the end of the month, on September 28. It is an absolute joke right now on this road, and they allow this level of incompetence, inconveniencing businesses and road users. It's disgraceful, it's disgusting and absolutely unacceptable on a new level, why has this been allowed? I've got a message for Thames Water: when will the bl**dy road closure on Bennet Road go away? I'm absolutely fed up with the constant lies and constant delays, and so is everyone involved, including businesses. Sick and tired of it!"

A spokesperson for Thames Water said: "We are making good progress on an extremely complex repair, with work inside the sewer, deep underground over the past three weeks. We hope to complete that work shortly and to start filling the 11-metre deep shaft. Our engineers will start working 24/7 to ensure Bennet Road fully reopens by our target date. Challenging ground conditions and high groundwater levels have been a significant complication. It meant a huge amount of investigation and preparatory work had to be completed prior to the repair as the health and safety of the local community, businesses and our staff is our overriding priority. More than 250m3 of soil had to be excavated and we have pumped 190 tonnes of ground stabilisation grout through 136 bore holes to a depth of up to 14 metres as part of this work to ensure the long-term integrity of the road. Bennet Road was partially re-opened in June so that traffic could access the A33, but we appreciate this project has taken time and we are grateful for the patience shown by local businesses and the community."

James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter