19-06-2025
Residents fear water leak leaves North Walsham road 'dangerous'
A rise in the number of cars using a diversion route is being blamed for increasing damage to the road road works have been taking place in North Walsham, Norfolk, since January, reorganising how traffic flows through - and into - the town. Much more traffic has been directed down Cromer Road which has already been damaged by a water leak. Norfolk County Council said it had a plan to grant Anglian Water the road closure it needed to make the repairs in the coming week.
The roadworks began in January and were expected to be completed by the end of Clark lives close to the Cromer Road in North Walsham and said heavy vehicles, including lorries and diggers, taking diversions had damaged the surface and created a water filled dip in the Clark said he believed leaving the road unrepaired was "just dangerous". "Anglian Water comes and has a look and puts up a sign saying uneven surface," he said."But with the extra traffic coming down this road, because the Norwich Road is closed, the dip is now enormous. "It's enough to take out the bottom of your car."
Anglian Water said the cause of the problem was most likely a leaking pipe below the road. They said they had not yet been granted permission to close Cromer Road to carry out repairs. Norfolk County Council (NCC) said permission for repairs had not been given because of ongoing work to the traffic lights on the said: "We haven't been able to allow them (Anglian Water) in to repair as the diversion route that would be needed is already closed due to the traffic light upgrades. "If we had let them come in to (do the) repair, North Walsham would be at a standstill."NCC confirmed that at soon as the work to the A149 was completed, expected by 23 June, the repair to Cromer Road would be carried out. Previously concerns have been raised about complicated diversion routes, leading drivers to use rat-runs down residential streets.
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