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Chronicle Live
Chronicle Live
National
Sophie Finnegan

Travel chaos as Sunderland's Wessington Way 'turns into river' after burst water main floods road

A main road in Sunderland has "turned into a brand new river" after a burst water main completely flooded the road.

The A1231 Wessington Way in Southwick is closed in both directions between the A1231 Northern Spire near the Sainsburys junction and Northern Way. Northumbria Police are believed to have blocked off the road at around 5.15pm during rush hour on Wednesday.

North East Live Traffic tweeted that there was no eastbound access from the Northern Spire Bridge and later confirmed the road was closed in both directions between the Camden Street roundabout and the Northern Spire Bridge. It is not yet clear when the road will re-open.

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JustEat driver Paul Bell has been caught up in the disruption describing it as a "pain in the bum". He said: "It's like a brand-new river. It's been blocked off from Sainsbury's right to the Queen Alexandra Bridge so I've had to drive around alternative routes.

"Everything is taking longer because I'm having to drive longer routes. If I have to pick up from McDonald's or KFC on Wessington Way and have to go towards Roker I have to use longer routes. JustEat won't pay us for it as it's not their fault. Some drivers only pick up from certain places but I go all over the place.

"People were saying they've got no water in Marley Pots so it needs sorting. It's been a bit of a pain in the bum driving down different routes but apart from that it's just been a normal night."

Residents took to social media to share photos and videos of the flooded road with many urging both drivers and pedestrians to avoid the road.

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