ROADWORKS which have already created long tailbacks in Nutfield are to be prolonged, after a gas leak interrupted water maintenance.
Sutton and East Surrey Water (SESW) has had engineers working on replacing a worn-out pipe under an 1,100-metre stretch of the busy A25/High Street since last July.
Temporary traffic lights have been on and off since the work began, causing delays for motorists and problems for businesses.
The work was originally expected to last three months, but was then delayed until after Christmas.
In January SESW said it was on target to finish work in March, but the gas leak has forced work to stop while Southern Gas Networks moves engineers into the road. Once this is resolved SESW workmen plan to return to the site for "a short time" to complete their remaining work.
SESW spokeswoman Liz Thorne warned that traffic controlling measures are likely to be involved.
Brendan Melvin, who travels through Nutfield on his way from Dartford into Redhill for work, described the situation as "unbelievable".
He said: "It's causing me problems and it's causing my colleagues problems."
Work by SESW engineers was put on hold to allow Southern Gas Networks staff to carry out emergency repairs on the leak, which began last Monday.
Southern Gas Networks spokeswoman Chloe Boyce said: "We are currently carrying out urgent work to our main within the A25 at Nutfield following reports of a gas leak.
"This work began on Monday last week. We've already repaired several leaks; however further work is still required. We're hoping to finish by the end of this week, all being well.
"To ensure the safety of the public and our engineers, two-way traffic lights are in place at this location. These are being monitored at peak times.
"We're working hard to finish the repair and reopen the road as soon as possible."
Katie Mackay, landlady of The Queen's Head on the A25, said that business had been better since the work had moved further away from the pub. On the gas leak, she added: "It's temporary and we understand it had to be done."
