AN emergency road closure had to be put in place on the A51 in Boughton following a burst water main.

The road was shut outbound from the City Road roundabout while repair work was completed.

It has resulted in heavy congestion and lengthy traffic queues around the city centre.

The issue was fixed this afternoon but water company Severn Trent says it's likely the road will remain closed over the weekend while teams work to ensure it is safe for traffic. 

Severn Trent apologised for the disruption caused by the burst, adding that water supplies are currently unaffected.

However, The Catholic High School says it has been forced to close today due to "an ongoing issue with the water in school due to a major leak in Chester".

A Cheshire West and Chester Council spokesperson said: "Due to a burst water main there is a road closure in place on the A51 Boughton, Chester, from City Road roundabout.

"Severn Trent Water are currently on site carrying out emergency repairs.

"Last night Cheshire West and Chester Council's out of hours team were notified of the water burst on the A51 Boughton, outbound, immediately before the junction with Waitrose.

Chester and District Standard:

"The water main is in the centre of the carriageway. The road has been closed from City Road roundabout while Severn Trent carry out emergency repairs.

"The construction of the road is reinforced concrete and the repair will take some time to complete.

"A diversion route is in place but motorists are advised to avoid the area, if possible, until the incident is resolved."

Chester and District Standard:

(Photograph by Sam Warrenger)

A Severn Trent spokesperson said: “We’re really sorry for any disruption caused by our work repairing a burst water pipe on the A51 this morning.

"So we can keep everyone safe, we’ve had to close a section of the road so our engineers can safely repair the pipe, which they’re working on now.

"Again, we’re really sorry for the inconvenience as we know this is a busy road, but it will be our absolute priority to make sure the pipe is fixed and everything back to normal as quickly as possible.”

They later added: "We’re pleased to say that the pipe have now been fixed, and now our teams will be working to make sure the road is put back to normal and safe again.

"We’re really sorry for any disruption that’s been caused, but it will be our priority to make sure the road is reopened as quickly as possible."

The Catholic High School in Chester tweeted: "We have an ongoing issue with the water in school due to a major leak in Chester.

"As a result, we are having to close the school and send everybody home. Parents have been contacted and students are not able to leave without parental permission. School will be open on Monday."