Haywards Heath road reopens five weeks earlier than planned

South East Water started work to replace the main in Borde Hill Lane after it burst 11 times within five years in January.

A spokesman said the road was expected to be closed between Copyhold Lane and Upper Rylands Bridge until mid-May.

It reopened today (Friday April 8), however, and the new 1.3km long pipe now pumped 288,000 litres of water to homes and businesses in Haywards Heath, said the spokesman.

Chris Love, Delivery Manager at South East Water, said: “Replacing old pipes like this is one of our top priorities, it’s unacceptable to us that homes and businesses go without water when a pipe bursts.

“We want to make sure the freshly cleaned water makes it to the taps of the Haywards Heath community.

“Closing roads to install water pipes is always a last resort, but because this pipe had to be laid in the middle of the road we couldn’t work and provide enough road space for motorists to safely pass.

“I would like to thank the local community, motorists and businesses in the area for their patience and understanding while we worked to install this important pipe.”

The scheme formed part of the company’s £424 million investment programme taking place between 2015 and 2020.

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