WORK will begin early next month to repair a damaged gas main which has lengthened the planned stay of roadworks on a busy Saffron Walden junction.

Homebuilder Taylor Wimpey and gas company National Grid said the repairs, due to start on September 2, are expected to take three weeks.

But the roadworks are likely to remain until the end of October, with a further four weeks needed for utilities companies to resume and complete the initial for Taylor Wimpey’s nearby Spring Mews development.

Radwinter Road will then be fully re-opened to traffic as normal.

Temporary traffic lights at the junction of Thaxted and Radwinter roads were meant to be in place for 16 weeks while utilities were installed to service two separate developments – one for houses, the other for retirement apartments – on the corner of the junction.

Earlier this month the Reporter revealed builders were already three weeks over schedule and that work had stopped while National Grid contractors waited for specialist equipment and staff to fix the problem.

Owing to complexities around the stretch of gas main, the National Grid said it was unable to carry out its usual method of repair and had to investigate a range of alternative options before finding the best solution.

Supervisor Karl Shipp said: “We apologise for any inconvenience caused to local people. I am pleased to say that we have now secured the specialist equipment and contractors and are able to start work in early September.

“This is a key main for Saffron Walden, supplying 7,000 homes and businesses, so it was vital that we found a method of repair that would enable us to keep the gas flowing while we carried out the work.”

Ben Fewsdale, senior production manager for Taylor Wimpey East London, added: “We are keen to ensure that normal service is resumed as quickly as possible for local residents and road users, and the service diversion works for Spring Mews will be resumed as soon as National Grid have completed their repairs.

“We apologise for any inconvenience these works have caused for local people.”