11 June 2019
Urgent work to rebuild an 85-year-old sewage chamber underneath the roundabout at Five Oaks will affect traffic in the area for up to three weeks.
From Monday 17 June, road users will not be able to access the roundabout from La Grande Route de St Martin, nor exit the roundabout on to Princes Tower Road.
The damaged sewage chamber, which is 3.5 metres deep and was originally constructed in the 1930s, has five inlet pipes that take the majority of the foul sewage from around 1,700 properties in the northeast of Jersey. The chamber is at risk of collapsing, which could have a significant impact on the island’s sewerage system and the environment.
Growth, Housing and Environment’s drainage team have placed cones on the roundabout to keep vehicles away from the chamber, which was inspected as part of the resurfacing project along La Grande Route de St Martin. Engineers discovered that the chamber was at risk of collapse as a result of bio-chemical erosion.
Although the roundabout will close for resurfacing in September, engineers have decided to rebuild the chamber as soon as possible.
Principal Engineer Andy Downie said: “We understand that undertaking major roadworks during school term will cause disruption and delay, however the work is extremely urgent. We apologise for the disruption and hope road users will be patient and plan extra time for their journeys while this vital work is carried out.”
Road users on La Grande Route de St Martin will be able to travel as far as the entrance to Morrison’s garage. The main diversion route for southbound traffic will be via La Hougue Bie. Motorists wishing to access Princes Tower Road from St Saviour’s Hill and Bagatelle Road will be diverted via La Grande Route de St Martin and Rue du Trot.
Buses will follow the diversion routes, with some stops temporarily suspended. Up-to-date information will be available on the Liberty Bus website. Access to all businesses and premises in the area will be maintained, however this may be via the diversion routes.
Traffic diversions will remain in place for the duration of the work, which, due to its urgency, will continue over the weekends to minimise the length of disruption. Working hours are Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm and Sunday 9am to 5pm.