Update - one lane still closed on Avon Ring Road after burst water main

The firm says until the work is completed it cannot reopen the second lane on the ring road A4174.

A spokesman said: "Work to repair the 18 inch main in the embankment running along the A4174 is ongoing which has meant that we are unable to open the inside lane on the A4174 (from Bromley Heath Roundabout to Hambrook traffic lights) for the time being. 

"As soon as the repair is complete, this lane will be re-opened."

He added: "We apologise for the inconvenience this emergency is causing."

At around 8.30am one lane of the road was reopened to traffic but the incident had already caused significant traffic delays in the area.

The road itself was under four feet of water during the morning rush hour following rain all night.
 

Up to 1,500 homes in areas including Winterbourne and Bradley Stoke were without water for some of the day because of the incident. Customers affected were, however, linked up with alternative suppliers.

Bristol Water said it took some time to isolate the main and turn off the water.

He added: “We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this emergency – we are working to restore supplies to normal as quickly as possible.”

The company warned customers they may find some orange or brown discolouration of their water following work on a main.

"This occurs when particles of iron normally deposited on the bottom of the iron water mains are disturbed by changes in flow," it said.

"If you experience this problem when your supply is restored we advise you to run the first mains fed cold water tap in your house (usually the kitchen tap) for a period of 30 minutes.

"If the water does not clear after this time please contact 0345 702 3797 as we may need to flush our water mains to remove any residual discolouration."

Police warned drivers to avoid the area and First Bus has put diversion routes in place.