Key road at centre of gridlock to remain closed

The A417 Over Causeway was shut unexpectedly due to a damaged water main

A key road will be closed for "at least a couple of days" as emergency work to repair a damaged water main continues, a water company has said.

Drivers were stuck in gridlocked traffic for up to four hours when the A417 Over Causeway through Gloucester was closed outbound between Alney Island and Over Roundabout at 19:00 BST on Friday.

Severn Trent Water said it "found more damage to the road than expected" and it would remain closed to "keep everyone safe".

The closure caused widespread disruption over the weekend. A Severn Trent spokesperson said: "We are dealing with this as a top priority and apologise sincerely for the disruption that this is causing."

Drivers were stuck for several hours when the road was closed

The damaged pipework has been fixed but the repaired road surface now needs to set.

Motorists said "appalling" traffic control caused gridlock and drivers reported being stuck in the car park of St Oswalds Retail Park for hours on Friday.

A spokesperson for NGSL Parking, which runs the car park at the retail park, said tickets would not be issued for Saturday or Sunday.

Stagecoach West apologised to its customers for the disruption and put diversions in place on routes 22, 23, 97, 98 and 71 out of Gloucester and on services 97, 98 and 71 into Gloucester.

"Diversions along Oxstalls Lane and Longford Lane remain as we continue to monitor the situation," it said.

Steve Husbands said his journey home from work was affected by the road closure

Steve Husbands, company director of Import Furniture Depot on Westgate Island, said the road closure had been "an absolute nightmare".

As the retail park is built on a roundabout, Mr Husbands said it was "very, very quiet" for businesses due to the traffic jams over the weekend as drivers struggled to get in and out.

"It's one of those things we could do without at the moment," he said.

"I travel from Hereford most days.

"It took me two-and-a-half hours to get home the other day when it usually takes me 35 to 40 minutes straight over [Over Causeway]," Mr Husbands said.

"The roads are gridlocked and unfortunately there are no signs anywhere to try and find a better route."

Jason Humm from Gloucestershire County Council, said: "We're pleased to hear that Severn Trent Water's emergency works are due to finish three days earlier than expected and are scheduled to be completed by Tuesday evening.

"We understand how frustrating and disruptive their emergency road closure has been, particularly as this is a critical part of the county's road network.

"We are talking with Severn Trent Water to ensure lessons are learned about dealing with future emergency closures."