A BURST water main which sent water pouring through a Southend street is set to keep the road closed until next week. 

Yesterday, emergency works were taking place to fix the water main in Priory Crescent, but however Essex and Suffolk Water has confirmed the road is unlikely to fully re-open until Monday. 

The road is currently closed to drivers between Eastern Avenue and Priory Avenue.

Labour Southend councillor Daniel Cowan admitted the road closure wouldwill have a big impact, but insisted it is “necessary”. 

READ MORE >> Road in Southend remains closed after huge burst water main floods the street

He said: “It is really unfortunate that it will be closed for that length of time.

“But it clearly needs to be done for safety reasons. There was a significant amount of damage caused by the collapsed water main, and a lot of water lost in the area.

“There will be a lot of work that needs doing to ensure it is safe and people’s safety is absolutely paramount.

“However, it is unfortunate that it has also happened at the same time as other road works, as it will increase congestion in the area, especially the connections the road has.

“It isn’t ideal, but the last thing we want is for it to be rushed and then it happens again.”

Reports on social media suggest water was coming out of the pipe throughout the night, causing homes in the area to suffer water damage.

An Essex and Suffolk Water spokesman said: “Last night, we were made aware of a large burst on a water main in Priory Crescent in Southend. Our teams attended and have been working all through the night to isolate the burst. The water main has now been switched off, but due to the size of the pipe, repair work is still ongoing today.

“A section of Priory Crescent is closed to allow for the repair to safely take place and diversions are in place. 

“We will be working on the burst throughout the day and into the night to get it repaired as quickly as possible and we apologise for any inconvenience caused. 

“We expect that the repair will be completed tomorrow andexpect the road will be reopened early next week.”