Work to repair Telford pipes is completed early

Severn Trent Water said all of the work needed to upgrade water supply pipes underneath the motorway bridge on the M54 junction in Ketley is now complete.

The work required access to the inside of the roundabout, and for safety reasons that forced the closure of the inside lane.

Severn Trent said that, given the condition of the pipes, there was potential for a major water leak.

It said this could have resulted in the loss of water supply to thousands of properties and water cascading on to the motorway.

Now that the work is complete it will be decades before further work is necessary.

Ruth Farrell, project manager for the company, said: "We thought that this work might cause traffic problems, so we're really happy that we were able to finish the work five weeks ahead of schedule.

"We managed to do the work with only one lane closed; working in the grassed areas near the road, and the impact wasn't as disruptive as we thought it would be.

"This work was absolutely necessary as we'd had several burst water pipes in the area over the last few years.

"If these pipes and valves were to burst again, not only would the water supplies be affected for thousands of customers, but it would also be a serious safety risk for motorists on the M54.

"This £300,000 investment means our customers now have a much more secure water supply for the future.

"We'd like to thank anyone who was affected by this work for their patience.

"As it turns out, we weren't there for long but the benefits of the new pipes will last for decades."

The work began on May 19, just weeks after the junction was reopened by the Highways Agency who closed it for months to carry out essential bridge strengthening works.

The Ketley Dingle roundabout reopened on March 17, after six months of closures.

During that time almost 4,000 drivers were captured on average speed cameras breaking a 50mph limit imposed in both directions on the M54.

In total 3,726 motorists have been handed £100 fines.