RESIDENTS who have put up with disruption from rail electrification work for over a year are among those worst affected after a burst water main forced the closure of a road.

People in Moses Gate have tolerated noisy drilling, early hours working and traffic problems while Network Rail has carried out the essential work near their homes.

And they are suffering yet more inconvenience after the pipe burst near Moses Gate railway station on Thursday night.

It is not yet known what caused the burst, but it is feared it could have been triggered by part of the road collapsing near the railway’s banking.

The busy junction of Bolton Road and Egerton Street has since been shut as a result., meaning residents often have to take lengthy detours.

Janine Elliot, who lives in Wood Edge Close, close to where railway workers access the tracks, said: “It’s been a nightmare. The road is still all closed off, a workman told me it is going to be about five days. It just seems like something else to do with the railway.

“It’s causing more and more traffic who think they can cut through to get to Farnworth and then having to turn around.

“The other day my neighbour had to take his son to swimming lessons at Farnworth baths, and it took him 45 minutes to go all the way round.

“We were hoping for a quiet night on Thursday but then we had the burst pipe and it was worse than ever. It’s frustrating, it really is. I just want it all to be over.”

Susan McGee, who lives in Ivanhoe Street said the closure had resulted in ‘gridlock’.

She said: “The road closure has had a big impact, you can’t get up to Farnworth, you have to go all the way around, we are fortunate, we have a car, a lot of people round here haven’t.”

Sylvia Harvey, who also lives in Ivanhoe Street, added: “It affects me more because of my grandson, it’s not so much because of the water, it’s going all the way round with the traffic a well.My son and daughter live further into Farnworth and now I’m having to go up Green Lane, Bradford Road and Plodder Lane, then along by the fire station to get to Long Causeway.

“We have had this for over 12 months and now we have road works it seems to be one thing on top of another.”

And Kelly Derbyshire, who lives in Rowena Street, said things had been ‘manic’ since the road closed on . She said: “Every journey takes about an extra half an hour just because one junction has been shut.

“We do our shopping day by day in Farnworth, but we can’t cut through like we used to , we have to go on the A666 all the way to the other end of Farnworth and to get back I have to go up to Kearsley roundabout and then get on from there.”