Eastern Road works completed two weeks ahead of schedule

Work to upgrade the sewer beneath Eastern Road has finished two weeks ahead of schedule thanks to state-of-the-art lining technology.

The Eastern Road is scheduled to be open at 6am on Saturday 14 February 2026.

There will be a further night-time southbound lane closure between the Burrfields Road and Hayling Avenue junctions, to complete a structural liner on Swords Sands Road.

This starts at 9pm on Friday 20 February and ends at 5am on Saturday 21 February 2026. This completes the lining on the gravity main in the southern section.

The £3 million project repaired and lined the underground sewer pipe, which will help prevent emergency repairs, unplanned road closures and further disruption in the future.

Councillor Peter Candlish Cabinet Member for Transport Portsmouth City Council said: "I'm delighted Southern Water has completed this major engineering project two weeks ahead of schedule, despite the challenging weather conditions. 

“I know how frustrating the traffic disruption has been for local residents and commuters and I thank them for their patience during these essential works.  However, now it's done, I believe that Southern Water has the long-term solution we needed in place on one of Portsmouth's key routes.     

“During Southern Water’s works, Colas postponed several nearby projects to avoid adding pressure to busy roads and used the temporary lane closures to complete essential gully cleansing to reduce flood risk. Hampshire Constabulary has also used the closure to install a new fixed speed camera. This is exactly the kind of joined‑up approach that benefits everyone.”

George Taylor, Director of Wastewater Operations at Southern Water, said: “We have successfully lined more than 1,600 metres of sewer pipe ahead of schedule. Our teams have worked day and night, with much of the job taking place below ground and out of sight, on one of Portsmouth’s most important routes.”

Work started on Sunday 4 January 2026 and was scheduled to finish in March. However, using the high-tech specialist lining technology meant less digging was involved and so could be completed quicker.

George added: “We fully recognise the impact of the road closure and thank everyone for their patience and understanding while these vital works were completed. We apologise for the inconvenience caused.” 

Amanda Martin MP for Portsmouth North said: “I know just how disruptive this work has been for people across our city, so like everyone in Portsmouth I’m pleased to see this vital project completed ahead of schedule.

“This £3 million investment will provide much-needed resilience, reducing the impact of sewer bursts on local residents and businesses, as well as on the wider city, which is so often affected by lane closures.

“I was really impressed by the innovation on show when I visited the site, and I welcome Southern Water’s team working hard to complete these works more quickly while investing in better long-term solutions to help prevent this level of disruption in the future.”

Southern Water have worked in partnership with Portsmouth City Council, Stagecoach and contractors Colas, Cappagh Browne and Vortex.

This scheme forms part of £170 million of investment across Portsmouth to improve the wastewater network and reduce storm overflows – improving the quality of coastal waters.