The Tribune

A MORNING traffic-jam saw drivers travelling from the east trapped for hours, yesterday, because of a broken water pipe.

Cars were stretched starting along the Eastern Road to halfway up Shirley Street after a pipe reportedly burst in the early hours of the morning near St Matthew's Church.

Neighbours complained that they attempted to contact the Water and Sewage Corporation's emergency hotline to report the leak beginning at 2am, but the line rang twice and hung up.

Witnesses reported the corporation instead began repair work after opening at 9am in the midst of morning rush hour traffic.

One driver, commuting to work, described the resulting traffic back-up as a "nightmare" and said it took two hours to complete a drive that normally takes 30 minutes.

"I wasted gas, was late for work and was bored out of my mind sitting in traffic," she said.

Another driver called and described sitting in the prolonged traffic as "misery". He said he was stuck in traffic for nearly an hour and a half around noon.

Calls to the Water and Sewage Corporation confirmed repairs were being made to a leak on the corner of Church and Shirley Streets.