Part of Lincoln Eastern Bypass closed by flooding

BBC An image of the flooded Lincoln Eastern Bypass. Standing water can be seen in the northbound lane and a grass embankment is visible in the background. A highways maintenance van is also parked close to the water on the right of the image.BBC
The northbound stretch of the Lincoln Eastern Bypass has been closed due to standing water

Part of a major road around Lincoln city centre is closed after it flooded when a water pump and back-up system failed during recent rainfall.

The northbound section of the Lincoln Eastern Bypass, between Greetwell Road and Wragby Road, is shut due to standing water under the Hawthorn Road footbridge.

Karen Cassar, assistant director for highways at Lincolnshire County Council, said engineers are on-site and "working as fast as they can" to get the road reopened.

A diversion route, via Greetwell Road, Outer Circle Road and Wragby Road-Bunkers Hill, is in place until further notice.

Lincolnshire County Council A man in a smart blue suit and red tie looks into the camera as he has his photo taken by a waterway. Divers and construction workers can be seen in the background.Lincolnshire County Council
Richard Fenwick said the road's gulleys had been cleared of leaves and debris, but the pumps had become overwhelmed with rainfall

Ms Cassar added: "There’s a lot of water to move before the road will clear, so we might not have it re-opened until tomorrow.

"In the meantime, we’re asking people to leave extra time for their journeys around this area of Lincoln."

Richard Fenwick, head of highways asset and local management services at Lincolnshire County Council said a decision to close the road was taken after it was deemed "not safe" to drive through the flood water.

Mr Fenwick added members of the public might assume blocked gullies were to blame but told the BBC they had been "cleared last week".

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