A SEWER collapse caused a busy road to be closed.

Motorists suffered more town centre tailbacks after part of the Brook Street diversion route also had to close and won’t open again until next week.

At about 9am yesterday the sewage pipes under the East Street mini-roundabout, at the junction with Ipswich Road, broke and started flooding .

Anglian Water shut off a section of the street, between the junction with Ipswich Road and Old Coach Road, to carry out an emergency excavation.

The closure is expected to continue until Monday at the earliest.

The route had been taking the strain from traffic diverted around the Brook Street closure, which is set to go on until May 12.

A spokesman for Anglian Water said: “We are investigating what we understand is a collapsed sewer.

“Excavation is underway on the site but traffic is still able to move through the area.

“However there is currently no left turn from Ipswich Road.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

The spokesman explained the broken pipe was one-and-a-half metres beneath the road surface.

Drivers going over the East Gate crossing were caught out by the closure and had to try and negotiate their way out of the already overly congested roads.

Residents took to social media to voice their frustration at the closure.

Helen Dryburgh said: “It was awful earlier as everyone was driving over the crossing and then having to do a u-turn as the signs were really vague.”

Nicola Hopkins said: “The historic town of Colchester is literally falling apart!

“Could it be that there’s so much traffic diverting round town because of roadworks that the ground underneath is giving way?!

“How about opening up some roads that are “bus lanes” and letting the traffic flow?”

Sean Hughes said: “You couldn’t make it up.”

Traffic can still turn right into East Street from Ipswich Road and cars can use the one-way Old Coach Road to bypass the works.