A road that had to be closed for emergency repairs after a sinkhole appeared is likely to stay closed until May.

The hole appeared in Stafford Road in Shirley at the end of March, with the road remaining closed ever since as the hole has been fenced off with barriers and cones.

As previously reported by the Echo, Southampton City Council's interactive map showed that the road was not expected to reopen until April 17 as "emergency carriageway repairs" were undertaken.

READ MORE: Southampton road closed by sinkhole to shut for another week

But information on the map updated over the weekend suggests the road closure will now stay in place until May 2.

A photo previously taken of the sinkhole on Stafford Road.A photo previously taken of the sinkhole on Stafford Road. (Image: Newsquest) Southern Water is responsible for the repair of the road, and the Echo understands that the utility company is currently repairing a collapsed sewer which is expected to take two to three weeks.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said: "Our teams are carrying out a sewer repair at Stafford Road, Southampton.

“We’re sorry for the disruption this is causing customers in the area.”

The neighbouring Lisbon Road in Shirley also remains closed due to emergency gas works.