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Hythe Bypass: 'Sinkhole' opens as homes without water - live

  • Sinkhole opens on busy bypass
  • It remains closed and homes are without water
  • Follow for live updates

10:05am

Southern Water have issued an update as the second day of works begin to repair the sinkhole. See our latest story by clicking here.

5:52pm

Congestion has now eased on Main Road and traffic is flowing normally.

Hythe Bypass remains closed.

5:22pm

AA Traffic Map still reports "queuing traffic" on Southampton Road "due to the closure of Applemore Hill".

Drivers are advised to leave early to give themselves additional time for their journeys.

4:44pm

Google Maps still reports that traffic is moving "much slower than usual" on Main Road, which is the start of the diversion route away from Hythe Bypass.

4:24pm

'They currently estimate the closure will be in place until Friday'

Hampshire County Council has said that the road closure on the Hythe Bypass could be in place until Friday.

A spokesperson for the council said: "For people travelling in the Hythe and Dibden area, an emergency road closure remains in place on the A326 at Dibden this evening.  

"Southern Water closed the road in both directions between Dibden and Sizer Way roundabouts this morning (Tuesday 17 June) due to a burst water main which has caused a sink hole to appear on the highway. 

"They currently estimate the closure will be in place until Friday. A signed diversion is in place via Main Road, Southampton Road and Beaulieu Road (and reverse)."

3:31pm

Diversion route traffic after crash

The diversion route around Hythe Bypass is facing delays after a crash on Claypits Lane, which joins onto the official diversion route.

Google Maps is reporting that traffic is moving "much slower than usual" on Main Road, which is on the route.

2:52pm

Photos of the 'sinkhole'

Sue Knight posted these photos of the sinkhole and sand on the road during construction.

(Image: Sue Knight)

(Image: Sue Knight)

2:13pm

Queues remain on Main Road heading east.

1:32pm

Traffic is starting to build on Main Road, which is on the diversion route.

While Google Maps does not report any major delays yet, the road is shown in red on its traffic map, meaning that queues are building.

Main Road traffic building Main Road traffic building (Image: Google Maps)

12:46pm

Leisa Cotham-Brailey described the closure as a "gaping hole".

12:11pm

Traffic around the closure is currently coping fine, according to Google Maps' traffic view which shows the area in green.

12:00pm

Official diversion around closed Hythe Bypass

Southern Water has published an official diversion route, which is a 4.5 mile detour to get around the 0.7 mile closed stretch of Hythe Bypass.

From Main Road, the diversion takes drivers east to Southampton Road, and then south to Langdown Lawn and Beaulieu Road.

A left on Beaulieu Road will then take those drivers onto Hythe Bypass, where vehicles can continue with their journeys.

11:42am

The nearby Waves Hand Car Wash on Sizer Way is not affected by the water outage, a spokesperson for the car wash told the Echo.

11:35am

Councillor Nick Adams-King, leader of Hampshire County Council, said: "Clearly this will cause significant disruption around Hythe and Dibden, please allow extra time for your journey as a result."

11:19am

Southern Water has confirmed that it is "unsure how long the fix will take".

11:13am

Southern Water update as 'sinkhole' appears on Hythe Bypass

A spokesperson for Southern Water said: "We have detected a burst main on Hythe Bypass, A326, Applemore Hill causing a small number of households to lose supply. Bottled water is currently being delivered to those affected.

"To fix the main, Highways management have instructed us to close the road between Dibden roundabout and Sizer way roundabout at 10:30am today.

"This is for health and safety reasons. We are unsure how long the fix will take at this stage but aim to sort the issue as quickly as possible.

"We're very sorry for any inconvenience caused."

11:12am

Hythe Bypass closed between Dibden roundabout and Sizer way roundabout at 10:30am today, according to Southern Water, due to a burst main at Applemore Hill.

A spokesperson for the utility company told the Echo that "18 properties have had" their water supply affected, and those houses are having bottled water delivered.

11:11am

Good afternoon and welcome to our live blog.

A busy bypass has been closed due to a burst water main, and a 'sinkhole' has now appeared on the road.

Some 18 properties remain without water.

Follow for more updates.

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