A BURST water main cut off supplies to a major supermarket and residents and caused traffic mayhem in Weymouth.

Wessex Water closed Newstead Road yesterday morning after part of a water main burst shortly after midnight and cut off the supply to Asda and two properties.

Engineers worked throughout the night to begin emergency repairs and also arranged for the affected customers to be provided with water from another part of the water supply network.

Traffic was diverted down Westwey Road and bottled water was supplied to two properties as a temporary measure.

One lane of the road was reopened yesterday afternoon, with four-way temporary traffic lights put in place.

The repairs are scheduled to be completed and the road fully reopened by this morning.

The temporary traffic lights, which are being used by a gas firm while it completes work in the area, were put in place before the water main burst and will remain in place after Wessex Water’s emergency repair work is complete.

Julian Watts, a supply controller for Wessex Water, said: “We had to dig about a metre deep.

“It wasn’t a massive job but it was rather awkward because the new gas pipe was over the top of it.”

Businesses in the area told how the closed road was ‘another blow’ to trade.

Hair Moda manager Alison Talbot said: “It’s been an absolute nightmare with all the gas works going on.

“We’re losing money left, right and centre as it is, so although the burst water main didn’t affect us, the road being shut off did.

“We can’t recoup any loss of money, how long can any business survive with all this going on?

“People are just fed up with it, it’s one thing after another.”

John Perham, manager of Weymouth Outdoor Education Centre in Knightsdale Road, said: “Luckily we didn’t have any kayaking groups in because we wouldn’t have been able to get to Castle Cove.

“The road chaos is really affecting our business and not only ours but the people who rent rooms off us for dance, judo and Taekwondo.”

Asda deputy manager Nigel Swinburn said: “I came in at 5.30am and the water was off but we still had tanks on the roof so it didn’t really affect us.

“Wessex Water had us back up and running by 10.30am.

“We’re getting used to people not being able to get to us, it’s just another disruption.”