TRAFFIC problems for commuters and residents living on a busy main road are drawing to an end.

Ombersley Road in Worcester has been partially shut off since February 17 while Sev-ern Trent Water carried out work to prevent sewers flooding in Barbourne.

News of the five-week closure sparked outrage among some nearby residents and business owners who feared congestion caused by the roadworks would lead to chaos.

This week, a spokes-man for the water board apologised for the inconvenience and confirmed the project was nearing completion.

He said: “Our work to prevent sewer flooding on Barbourne Road and Sunnyside Road in Worcester is making good progress.

“We’d like to thank the local community for its patience and apologise for any inconvenience it may be causing.”

He said staff from the contractors had visited homes and businesses in the area during the work to keep them updated.

“Our contractor, Mor-gan Sindall’s team of engineers are hard at work and have now installed more than 80 metres of brand new sewer pipes on Barbourne Road,” the spokesman said.

“Work to construct a small pumping station is now complete and we’re continuing with improvements to the sewer system on Sunnyside Road.

“We expect this will be completed before the end of the month. While we’re working to prevent sewer flooding, we’re making sure that local businesses and residents are kept up-to-date on our progress.

“We’ve also visited businesses to let them know how we can help if they feel they’ve been affected by our work.

“Worcestershire Cou-nty Council carried out work at the same time as us to minimise disruption to the local community.

“We’re pleased that its work on Ombersley Road is now complete.”