RECENTLY identified water works at Gallows Corner should be completed this week, paving the way for a partial reopening, Essex and Suffolk Water (ESW) says reports the Local Democracy Reporter.
Gallows Corner’s reopening date had initially been postponed until Thursday 30th April but progress was again marred by the replacement of a water main.
Though Transport for London (TfL) has not confirmed a new reopening date, ESW has said the work should not take too much longer.
Blair Mitchell, ESW’s asset management director, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “During the final stages of testing at Gallows Corner we identified additional work needed to ensure the new water main was completed in the best way possible to protect vital water supplies to the area.
“We expect to be able to complete this work this week, which will allow TfL to do the final work to allow the flyover to partially reopen.
“We are extremely sorry for the continued disruption this causes and understand the frustration and inconvenience it has created for local people.”
Work began on replacing the ageing flyover and repairing the busy roundabout last March. It was initially slated to reopen in September.
Havering Council has branded the continued delays “extremely disappointing” and a “farce”.
The council’s chief executive Andrew Blake-Herbert said: “Considering the closure was only supposed to last a few months, it has now become a bit of a farce.
“It’s clear that ESW grossly underestimated the time their works would take and failed to factor in adequate time for testing the new water pipes, and it’s Havering residents and businesses who continue to pay the price for their failure.”
Scott Haxton, TfL’s director of capital delivery, said last week that “all significant TfL works” had been completed but ESW, which has apologised, had “identified further work needed to ensure the water main is fully assured”.
More than 1,900 residents have signed a petition, launched in late March, calling on TfL to be held accountable as they “no longer have confidence in TfL’s assurances” and have “reached a breaking point”.
