UPDATE: Part of Wessington Way likely to be closed until early next week following burst water pipe

The A1290 Wessington Way westbound carriageway remains closed from Northern Way to the Northern Spire Bridge Junctions as repairs are carried out to the road following a burst water main yesterday evening.

Northumbrian Water said while repairs to the burst pipe which caused the issue are expected to be completed today, teams expect the road to be closed into early next week as work is required to fix the road.

Water chiefs say households could experience reduced water pressure in order to manage the water network.

While repair work is carried out and a section of the A1231 eastbound carriageway is closed, a diversion has been put in place to help keep the area safe and Northumbrian Water say they are working closely with Sunderland City Council to safely manage the area.

A Northumbrian Water spokesperson said: “Yesterday afternoon our teams started working on the large-scale repair of a water pipe that burst on Wessington Way (eastbound carriage way A1231), Sunderland. The burst affected a lot of customers in the area, who may have experienced no water or reduced pressure, and we’re really sorry about this.Most people should have had their supplies restored by midnight but because it was a big burst, the repair is ongoing today.

"While we’re fixing it, we may need to manage our water network slightly differently in the area, to keep people in supply, and this might mean some customers may experience reduced pressure in their taps which is normal after a burst this size. Because it’s really hot at the minute and we’re seeing very high levels of demand for water, we’re asking for people to help us out by using water wisely - check out www.nwl.co.uk/summer for some simple, water saving tips.

"While we complete the repair, a section of the A1290 westbound carriageway between the Northern Spire and Queen Alexandra Bridge is closed with a diversion in place to help keep the area safe and we’re working closely with Sunderland Council to do this. Although the repair of the pipe is expected to be complete by the end of the day today, there will be a lot of work required to fix the road and we anticipate it being closed until early next week.

"We’re sorry for any inconvenience and we’d like to thank motorists for their patience while we get things back to normal. While we always do all we can to minimise disruption when pipes burst, it’s worth making sure your latest details are stored in our systems in case we need to make contact with you - www.nwl.co.uk/register. Or, if you know anyone that might need some additional help, such as bottled water during an event like this, make sure you sign them up to our priority services register here – www.nwl.co.uk/priority.”