Thousands of homes were left without water in South Ribble and 11 schools were forced to close due to a burst water pipe on Tuesday morning (November 21) .
United Utilities later confirmed an 18-inch diameter pipe had burst on Fishergate Hill at the junction with Broadgate.
Repairs to the pipe had begun by Tuesday afternoon, however the full extent of the damage to the road, and timeframe for repairs, was still being assessed.
People were asked to respect the road closure as there was a risk of holes opening up due to the ground underneath the road having been washed away.
County Coun Rupert Swarbrick, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “We’re working closely with United Utilities and other partners to manage the situation following the pipe burst.
“Our priority is to get Fishergate Hill reopen as quickly as possible once the necessary repairs have been made.
“In the meantime, I would ask people to avoid this area if they can, as there will clearly be an impact on traffic due to the closure of such a busy road.
“We are working with United Utilities to assess the damage and estimate a timeframe for repairs, and will update people as soon as we can.”
Traffic was being diverted via Bow Lane, Marsh Lane (A59), Guild Way (A59), Golden Way (A582), Leyland Road (B5254), Golden Way (A582), Guild Way (A59), Marsh Lane (A59) and vice versa.
These were the scenes as the pipe was repaired:
5. Scene of the burst water main on Fishergate Hill in Preston
On Tuesday afternoon, engineers had begun the process of digging down to repair the damaged water pipe. Photo: Neil Cross
6. Scene of the burst water main on Fishergate Hill in Preston
Grant Batty, United Utilities Water Services Director, said: "We're very sorry for the disruption this may have caused this morning. Our teams responded quickly and water started to come back on again within a few hours. We are continuing to liaise with the local authority while repair work continues on Fishergate Hill, and we will do our best to get the road back open as quickly as possible." Photo: Neil Cross
7. Scene of the burst water main on Fishergate Hill in Preston
United Utilities said some customers may notice that their water looks slightly discoloured when it first comes back on, but this is normal and is caused by naturally-occurring sediment that can become disturbed in the system. Photo: Neil Cross
8. Scene of the burst water main on Fishergate Hill in Preston
The water will gradually clear if people run the kitchen tap at a slow trickle. While the water might not look quite the same as usual for a short time, people can continue to use it as normal. Photo: Neil Cross