Six week closure for lanes on Outland Road

Three lanes of Outland Road are to be closed for six weeks as the finishing touches are put to a £3.5 million scheme to improve the sewerage network in Plymouth.

South West Water and its H5O partners started work on the scheme to build new sewers and adjust existing manholes in the Outland Road area of the city in January last year. The final phase of the project, which will involve connecting the new pipes into the sewerage network, starts on Monday 8 April 2013. The work will take six weeks to complete.

Both inbound lanes of Outland Road and one outbound lane will be closed to all traffic except buses between Peverell Park Road and Devonport High School for Girls during the work. Traffic will not be able to exit onto Outland Road from any of the side roads between Peverell Park Road and Devonport High School. South West Water say that diversion routes will be clearly signed.

In order to complete the work as quickly as possible, South West Water staff will be working 12 hours a day (8am to 8pm) six days a week.

One inbound lane will reopen to traffic on Saturday 20 April, when Plymouth Argyle Football Club has fixtures at Home Park.

Project manager Robert Prentice said: "This is a complex and challenging project, especially given its location, but it represents a real investment in the city of Plymouth. Without this essential work, the sewerage network would deteriorate.

"With Plymouth City Council we have worked hard to minimise the disruption to local residents, businesses and commuters as much as possible. This includes extending the length of both the working day and week to finish sooner, and planning the programme so we start during the school holidays and are able to reopen one lane of Outland Road when Plymouth Argyle play at home."

The scheme is part of a five-year £42 million investment in the sewer network across the region to renovate sewers identified as being at risk of collapse and to alleviate potential flooding problems.