ROADS are closed and buses on diversion due to a burst water main that has been gushing water into High Road, Whetstone, since the early hours of the morning.

The 14in main burst at around 3am forcing police to close High Road between Chandos Avenue and Buckingham Avenue and surrounding roads are still severely congested. Route 34, 234, 263 and 236 buses have been placed on local diversion.

A spokeswoman for Veolia Water, which is carrying out repairs, said it hoped to reopen the southbound lane to two-way traffic on Wednesday afternoon, but that the northbound carriageway would remain closed until Thursday due to the extent of the damage to the road.

She said: “We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused by a burst 14ins water main in High Road, Whetstone early this morning.

“We appreciate this is a very busy route and we are doing everything we can to repair the main as quickly as possible and are working closely with LOCOG and the Highways Authority to ensure that traffic disruption is kept to a minimum. We would like to thank road users for their patience.”

Barnet Press