Evacuation At Canford Bottom Roundabout After Gas Leak

The Canford Bottom Roundabout was closed last Sunday the 5th of February after a large gas pipeline was ruptured at the end of Ham Lane.

The alarm was raised at 9.45am as eye witnesses reported a huge 'whooshing' sound of gas escaping from the 20 inch diameter medium pressure gas main, resulting in around fifty residents being evacuated and thousands of drivers having to find alternative routes. A 200-metre cordon was placed around the leak and the Northeast wind blew the gas towards Merley where residents were warned to close their windows and stay indoors.

While the leak was repaired residents supply was turned down and they were told to expect problems with their heating and other appliances until late into the evening. The leak was finally capped at around 4pm and the road reopened just after 6pm.

The incident comes as yet another blow to the Highways Agency and the Canford Bottom Roundabout, which is rapidly becoming a public relations disaster and is seen as a big fat waste of taxpayers' money by local residents. They are already having to suffer a proposed seven-week closure of the roundabout and now with the ruptured pipe it will probably be longer. The only positive to come out of this is it was lucky it was not during the week. Imagine the chaos that would have caused.