Morpeth road hit by flooding
OLDGATE Bridge has been closed off to traffic after a pipe burst underneath the road.
Water came rushing out on the Oldgate side of the bridge at 3pm this afternoon and a fire crew from Pegswood arrived at the scene and cordoned off the road about 20 minutes later.
It is running off into storm drains, and this allowed pupils at St Robert’s First School to make their way home with parents, but there are concerns over the impact of the damage.
Teams from Northumbrian Water and Northumberland County Council’s highways department will assess the situation and decide what repairs are needed.
Brent Richardson of Morpeth Mobility on Oldgate said: “The water came out of the middle of the road very quickly and flowed down the street.
“We’re worried that the path or road could collapse because the soil has been washed out and the structure is very weak.
“We just avoided being flooded last week and had only recently put everything back in the shop that we took out as a precaution.”
The Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service crew’s watch manager Ian Woods said: “We were called to Morpeth because of a burst water main and working with the police we have closed off a section of the road.
“I have no idea how long the road is going to be closed. The team from Northumbrian Water will first shut off the water then assess the damage before deciding what happens next.
“There is coloured water going into the river, but it is mainly soil and there are no pollutants. There is no environmental risk.
“As long as the water keeps running into the drains there is no need for us to pump any water, but we will remain on standby as the situation develops.”
At the moment, only cars already in Oldgate are able to get out via the roundabout by the Town Hall and Market Place.
Headteacher at St Robert’s First School, Vivien Cunningham, said: “Fortunately, the incident did not affect the children being picked up by their parents. The fire brigade was on the scene quickly and this allowed our pupils to get home safely.”
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Morpeth
Tuesday 18 June 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North west
