A Liverpool councillor has slammed United Utilities over the continued closure of an important road in the city.
Prescot Road, which runs through Stoneycroft and Old Swan, is currently shut due to a burst water main, which created a huge sink hole at the end of July.
United Utilities said it aims to have the road open by Monday, September 6, but Liberal Democrat councillor Pat Moloney thinks the water company could be doing more to get the key route open once again.
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Cllr Moloney said: “It seems that United Utilities couldn’t care less and that they are doing this on the cheap. But we pay the price while they make income and we have to pay for the inconvenience.
“The most frustrating thing is that United Utilities seems not bothered about closing that road and it causes massive disruption.
“They should be working on it 24 hours a day, but it seems there’s nobody working outside of very restricted working hours of 9-5 at most. Nobody can be seen working at the weekend.
“I go once or twice a week and I can’t see any developments.”
The Liberal Democrat council member said the road’s closure, which is understood to have begun around a month ago, was causing unnecessary delays for ambulances heading to Alder Hey and Royal Liverpool hospitals and causing visitors difficulty in visiting their loved ones.
Cllr Moloney also raised questions about the long-term state of water pipes in the area.
He added: “We’ve had this problem three or four times over the last 15 years and each time the road is closed for two or three months.
“If it’s happening so regularly, are the water pipes fit for purpose, do they need replacing?
“I don’t think we get a good enough service from United Utilities. It’s ok if these things happen once, but again and again, it is very frustrating for everybody involved.”
A United Utilities spokesperson said: “We appreciate the disruption these roadworks are having on people getting on with their daily routine and we want to thank everyone for bearing with us.
“Our aim is to have the road reopened on Monday, September 6.”
The spokesperson added that the water company is looking at the network in the area more broadly.
The statement continued: “The main that burst has now been replaced with a new section of pipe.
“However, the burst did damage other utility apparatus in the vicinity which also need fixing prior to the road being reinstated.
“In addition, during this period we are completing further investigations on the water mains that run down Prescot Road to identify if any further maintenance is needed, to help ensure we minimise the risk of any further issues in this locality in the future.”
