A temporary pedestrian crossing will be installed in the coming days to help residents avoid a flooded underpass in Wednesbury.
The underpass below Steel Roundabout in Leabrook Road was flooded when a water main suffered a major burst in November.
The flooding damaged the electric control panel and pump that normally keeps the underpass clear of naturally occurring groundwater and run-off from the surrounding area. The pump, which had been in operation to keep the underpass clear since 1990, now needs to be replaced.
As a temporary measure, Sandwell Council will be installing a temporary pedestrian crossing on Black Country New Road, near Parkway Roundabout, and reducing the speed limit to 30mph to make the crossing safe for pedestrians. The crossing will be in place by Monday 20 January.
The council has been pumping water from the underpass seven days a week using a tanker – but the recent wet weather and snow has meant that the underpass has continued to collect water, despite the efforts made to keep it clear.
Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for environment and highways Councillor Keith Allcock said: “We know that the flooding of the underpass has been a real inconvenience to many residents since the major water main burst. It’s a key route for many people to get to school, work and to the town centre.
“We’ve tried to address the problem by pumping the water off using a tanker, which hasn’t been effective due to the amount of wet weather and freezing temperatures we’ve had. We’re now doing all we can to get the new pump installed to resolve the problem permanently.
“In the meantime, we’ll have a temporary crossing in place so pedestrians can safely get to where they need to go. While we do the work to get that temporary crossing in place, I’d urge pedestrians to use safe crossing points along the route.”
Work is also continuing to replace the pump that clears the underpass, which is expected to be complete by early February.