A WATER company has provided an update on when maintenance work will be finished that is causing massive delays on the A259.

Southern Water has been relining pipes in the West Beach area of Lancing following a flurry of bursts in the last year.

Temporary traffic lights on the A259 Brighton Road have been causing severe delays during rush hour every day.

Southern Water expect the relining to be done by around October 24.

It has been working on the pipes since the beginning of August.

The Argus: Workers in August fixing pipesWorkers in August fixing pipes (Image: Newsquest)

A spokesman said: “We expect the re-lining of the old pipe to be complete by the end of October, and at this time the tankers will no longer be needed on Brighton Road.

“This will be followed by roadworks, to fill in the holes and resurface. Obviously, this could be subject to last-minute changes but we will keep you informed.”

The relining process has meant the pipes have switched off.

This has meant tankers on the A259 have been needed to “keep up with the flow of wastewater” coming from homes and businesses.

People have complained about not being able to sleep due to “revving up” in the early hours of the morning.

The Argus: Delays along the A259Delays along the A259 (Image: Newsquest)

On its website, Southern Water said: “Tanker drivers have been asked to keep noise to an absolute minimum. They run their engines for a few minutes at a time to use the vent value. If this isn’t done wastewater would go on the road.”

The first burst in the West Beach area happened in October last year, leaving “repulsive” sewage lining the street each time.

Southern Water was “just days away” from fixing the old pipes in the area in July when there was another burst.

Frustrated residents have previously accused the company of “tinkering around the edge” rather than “sorting out the source of the problem”.

The Broadway, Orient Road and West Way have been affected by the stretch of pipe.

For more information on the Lancing pipe works, visit Southern Water’s dedicated page for Lancing.