Major road closed by burst pipe could reopen 'soon'

A major road in Leicestershire which has been closed due to a burst pipe could reopen "soon", according to Severn Trent and Leicestershire County Council.

Parts of the A47 were closed after a large water pipe burst on 26 January, leaving drivers with a 15.5-mile (25km) diversion, with some people reporting journeys between the Hinckley area and Leicester taking twice as long as normal.

Severn Trent said it had caused damage to the road and that repair work has been ongoing.

The burst has affected the road between Earl Shilton and the B582 Leicester Lane in Thurlaston.

A Severn Trent spokesperson said: "We want to apologise for any disruption caused by the closure.

"While our teams managed to fix the pipe quickly, it is one of our larger pipes and there was damage caused to the road.

"We've been working over the past couple of weeks to make the road safe again.

"We are hopeful the road will reopen very soon and want to thank everyone for their patience and understanding."

A Leicestershire County Council spokesperson said: "We are hoping to reopen the road as soon as possible and are carrying out regular inspections on site."

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