More delays: Race against time to finish Weymouth Way works ahead of Seafood Festival

Work to complete the sewage main repair on the A354 Weymouth Way was due to finish this week – but it will be running into next week and possibly even beyond that, it has emerged.

Weymouth - Weymouth Way - eight metres down, 350tonnes of material excavated and the @wessexwater sewer pipe has been exposed - repairs can start. Once done, reinstatement begins, but it will take time to compact all the material to reduce chances of subsidence in the future.

— Travel Dorset (@TravelDorset) July 4, 2019

The main route has been closed between Westham Crossroads and Chafeys Roundabout since Wednesday, June 19.

A diversion is in place via Boot Hill, Wyke and Lanehouse but local roads have been clogged up as drivers seek a short-cut.

Discussions have been held between Wessex Water and Dorset Council's highways team about what to do if the work isn't completed by the weekend of July 13-14. This is when Weymouth will welcome tens of thousands of people for the Dorset Seafood Festival around the harbourside.

Wessex Water has admitted the repair is 'challenging' but said its crews had been working day and night to try and get the work done.

It apologised to residents for the noise caused and to the disruption to motorists from the road closure.

The works were initially held up because power cables had to be located and removed to allow engineers to access part of the sewer structure.

A Wessex Water spokesman said yesterday: "We've now got down to the pipe and are carrying out the repair but the depth is considerable. We had to move some 350 tonnes of material and once it's fixed that all has to be put back but you can't just dump it in the hole – it has to be put in layers and compacted before the road is reinstated."

The spokesman added: "The work is taking longer than we expected. It will certainly go into next week but we hope to get it done for the festival weekend, hopefully sooner than that. But you never know what is around the corner."

Weymouth councillor Jon Orrell went on a site visit this week to see progress of the work so far.

He said he hoped the repair will be quicker than last year's disruption at Westham Bridge when delays hampered Wessex Water's scheme to replace the stormwater outfall at the marina.

A Dorset Council spokesman said: “We have made it clear that the road needs to be reopened in time for the Dorset Seafood Festival on 13 and 14 July.

"Wessex Water has accepted this as a suitable timeframe to work to, although they cannot give any guarantees.

"We are talking with the festival organisers to consider a contingency plan.”