Resurfaced road to be dug up again months later

A badly potholed road completely resurfaced six months ago at a cost of £280,000 will be dug up again next week for "essential" work.

Granhams Road, between Cambridge and Great Shelford, was repaired in March after it fell into a poor condition, with a cyclist warning there would be "a very serious accident soon".

The road will now be closed between 5 October and 1 November so Cambridge Water (CW) can replace part of a water main. CW said that when the work back in March was carried out "our teams were focused on higher-priority water main renewals elsewhere".

Cambridgeshire County Council said utility companies were "required to reinstate the road surface to the same standard or better".

CW said the work was part of its ongoing programme to "renew ageing pipes", and its mains replacement programme was prioritised "based on the condition and performance of the network".

"We work closely with the council to coordinate activities wherever possible and minimise disruption, but it is not always possible to align utility work with highway resurfacing programmes," a spokesperson said.

"We are aware that Granhams Road was resurfaced relatively recently and recognise the importance of protecting that investment.

"Once the new water main has been installed, we will carry out a high-quality reinstatement in line with highway authority requirements, including additional work and investment to ensure the road is left in an appropriate condition following the excavation."

The council, which is the highways authority, said after the road was resurfaced in March it then received the permit application from Cambridge Water.

"Utility companies, like Cambridge Water, have a legal right to work on our roads to ensure residents are well-connected to essential services," it said.

It added that while Granhams Road was closed "UK Power Networks will also be installing a new property connection on the closed section of road, collaborating to minimise disruption for residents".

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