EMERGENCY repairs to fix a leaking water pipe at a traffic hotspot will start on Monday.

Thames Water revealed there will be two-way traffic lights at the junction of Bath Road and Benyon Court for one week.

Temporary traffic lights will be manned around the clock and will be in place for the duration of the works.

The repair team will move to fix a second leak further along Bath Road, near Berkley Avenue, which will also require temporary lights and should take a further week to complete.

A network of old pipes are believed to have struggled during the recent freezing temperature, but the water company insisted the latest batch of maintenance was not linked to previous works.

Thames Water’s Tom Hutchinson said: “We are sorry for any hold-ups our work causes and we know road users will be frustrated to see us working once again on the Bath Road.

Reading Chronicle:

"It is important to know our recent repairs and these latest ones have not all been on the same pipe and in fact we have five major water mains running under the road which play a crucial role in supplying water to large parts of Reading.

"Some of the pipes have been in the ground since the Victorian era so their age combined with the extreme cold weather we had last month means they are more prone to leaks.

“We are compiling lots of data on the pipes and the leaks which will allow us to make decisions in the future about potential replacement schemes, but with five pipes so close together under one of Reading’s busiest roads, any such work would be hugely disruptive.

"In the meantime, we are installing special technology on the oldest pipes to help us spot leaks faster and better plan our repair jobs, which have to be done to ensure precious water is not wasted and to protect water supplies to the town.”