A BURST water main is causing delays in Colchester town centre.

                      Scroll down for updates

The roundabout between Maldon Road and Lexden Road is blocked, causing traffic delays in the area.

The pipe burst at about 5am this morning and is still causing long queues and delays across the town centre, including Ipswich Road, Magdalene Street, Cowdray Avenue, Butt Road and Northern Approarch Road southbound.

Residents in the area experincing low water pressure, and a spokesman for Anglian Water said they hope to have supplies back to normal by 2pm this afternoon.

A statement on the company's website states: “We’re really sorry but some customers in the CO3 postal code of Colchester may have very low water pressure or no water at all.

“We’ve got a burst water main in your area that we’re working hard to get fixed, so that we can get your supply back to normal as soon as possible.

“This should be working by 2pm today.

“When the water is back it may look a little cloudy or discoloured, just run your tap for a couple of minutes and it should clear.

“Again, we’re very sorry we’ve inconvenienced you and thanks for your patience.”

UPDATE 12.15pm

Anglian Water are at the scene trying to fix the problem.

The are still delays across the town centre, including Brook Street and Barrack Street.

UPDATE 3.30pm

The pipe has now been repaired and water supplies have been restored.

Anglian Water is hoping to reopen one lane before this evening's rush hour.

Traffic lights will be in place for the rest of the week while road surface repairs are carried out.

An Anglian Water spokesperson said: "We apologise for any inconvenience caused during this time and thank customers for their patience.

“Road users in and around Colchester Southway roundabout may experience some travel disruption this week as road repairs are completed.

“We are aware that there have been bursts in the area previously, and we are planning work to resolve the issue. It will be a deep and complicated job, but we will be replacing the water main next year. This will significantly reduce the likelihood of further bursts.”

Read the full story in tomorrow's Gazette.