LONG suffering commuters and people in Worcester breathed a sigh of relief yesterday when a five-week road closure ended.

Ombersley Road had been partially blocked since February 17 while Severn Trent Water carried out work to improve the sewer systems in Barbourne Road and Sunnyside Road.

News of the closure sparked outrage among residents, business owners and motorists who feared that congestion caused by the roadworks would lead to chaos and a loss of trade.

However, normality was restored yesterday when the £300,000 project to tackle sewer flooding was finished.

One Ombersley Road resident, who did not wish to be named, said: “It's been a lengthy and irksome disruption increasing journey times into and out of town by up to 20 minutes at busy times. I’m glad it’s over.”

David Johnson, of Johnsons newsagents in Ombersley Road, initially feared business would suffer and welcomed the news. “Severn Trent has sent us a compensation form because they seem to think there’s been a loss of trade.

“It’s a lot better now the road’s open again. The first two weeks were the worst, but as time went by it seemed to pick up. It’s a quiet time of year anyway.”

Chris Kelsey, of Severn Trent, said: “We recognise that sewer flooding is distressing for those affected which is why we have invested more than £300,000 in improving the sewer system on Barbourne Road and Sunnyside Road.

“Over the past five weeks we have installed more than 130 metres of brand-new pipes and constructed a small pumping station to help our sewers deal more effectively with heavy rainfall. We’re very grateful for the patience of local people who may have been affected while we’ve carried out this work.”

Jon Fraser, Worcestershire County Council’s highways manager, said: “We would like to thank residents and road users for their patience during the important works that have now been completed on schedule.

“As with any work of this nature there is al-ways going to be some inconvenience for motorists, but we liaised closely with the utility company to arrange the works at the best possible time to minimise disruption.”

Related Severn Trent works will continue in Sunnyside Road until June.