Further delays on A256 due to second sewer pipe burst

Warning of possible lane closure on A256 Image Southern Water

Delays to opening the A256 Sandwich Bypass have been caused by yet another sewer burst.

At the end of last month surveys showed the crucial ‘geo-grid’ engineering on the embankment was intact and Kent County Council’s Highways department were expected to give the go-ahead for work to reopen the carriageway, which has been shut since December.

But a  further issue has been identified on a second sewer pipe which takes wastewater flows from the Deal area  – the two sewer pipes run in parallel underneath the same section of the road.

Southern Water say several bursts occurring so close together is unusual and the company is unsure why the pipes have failed, as they’re still within their usual lifespan. Chemical and structural analysis to understand what caused this is taking place.

This work has been given top priority and our engineers and specialist consultants worked right through the holiday season.

Additional tankers have been brought in to manage wastewater flows and protect the environment while workers carry out further repairs.

A Southern Water statement says: “Work is well underway to reinstate the #A256 road surface, and our crews are working longer hours to get things finished as quickly and safely as possible.

“We know there’s been some confusion around the length of time this work will take, but we’d like to reassure everyone our work on the A256 should be complete within the next few weeks.

“However, we do have other works going on in the nearby areas that will take a while longer to complete.

“We’re really sorry for the disruption the problems on the A256 continue to cause,

Find updates here 

18 Comments

    • This is what you are worried about? Southern Water are crooks, where they done things on a budget years ago to save money for them but take more from us has come back to bite them. And once again it is us that are having to deal with this. Do you even use this road on a regular basis to see the disruption its caused? Have you ever seen more than 2 people with 1 watching working on this road? I feel for the people in sandwich. If it isnt done by the time the golf is here questions need to be asked and enquires made

  1. oooh the pipes of peace, pipe down Sir waste ful lot of so called lets save water
    and the stench of excrement floating in the air and on the roads what a lovely aroma whilst Sir Barry plays a round of pitch and putt only to find his ball has taken to the bunker but burst pipes in the neighbourhood are a recurrence
    the pipes are knackered out Sir bit like swan lake down here

    enjoy the thought of your pitch and putt
    the only thing Labour can pitch is a high screech moan at their constituents who moan about the stench of sewerage and blocked drains
    The roads cannot cope
    the drains are useless and what do KCC do rather invest pension fund money with woodford and drown your sorrows because he messed up again

    KCC fix the water the sewage and stop spending other peoples pension money on forecasting a profit …which I defy every moment that you do

  2. The Operational Services officer at TDC sits on the board Sir Barry ask your mate to get his butt into gear and sort it! like you do with the recycling …roads should not be closed because of constant bursting pipes and now raw sewage …shitty really if you ask those who need to use that road that it is taking so long already
    I demand answers to why it is taking so long
    old pipes I think

    • How about getting involved Sleepy Barry Lewis to see what more can be done to reduce the closure time, instead of being sarcastic.

      Your replies on here just about sums you up as a sleepy Labour county councillor, that doesn’t really care about the electorate.

  3. Why was the A256 built over the pipes in the first place,it should of had a reinforced section built so pipe work could be changed as a sort of small bridge,leaving the road level,then when these problems arise it could be repaired with-out any problem.Forward planning is all that was needed.

  4. Surely, the easiest answer to the problem , is to put a line of cones down the middle of the road, of the part of the bypass that is open, then make it bye directional, with a maximum speed of 30mph.

  5. Sorry Councillor Barry Lewis its very difficult to tell if a Councillor is lying or telling the truth and being sarcastic only confuses matters further and we all hope that the road reopens before the school summer holidays start and we can only apologise to you over the misunderstanding this has caused you. I sincerely hope that you can except our apology and hopefully get the work completed asap.

  6. I said this with the first burst pipe months ago but again say it: “Planners, don’t build busy roads over the top of pipes” They could have put these pipes in the ditch alongside the road or built reinforced culverts but they just do it all on the cheap then scarper, then let someone else sort out the mess and expense caused by not doing it properly in the first place.

  7. If this is a priority then why are they not working through the night? They surely have crews that can do this
    We have an on going issue with Southern Water and they are a terrible firm, no compassion, they just don’t care.

  8. 4 months it’s been closed at which point do southern water get fined for keeping our road closed for so long ?
    And as Pam says why arent they working round the clock to fix it. They dont work nights , they dont work weekends. What gives them the right to cause so much hassle to locals without them being fined.

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