Drivers have been reminded that work connected to the Norwich Northern Distributor Road will next week cause serious disruption in Horsford.

The B1149 Holt Road will be shut from Monday until Friday, October 14, although the closure is due to be lifted on the weekend of October 8/9.

The closures, one either side of the Holly Lane junction with Holt Road, are needed to divert a gas main, water main and irrigation pipe.

From Monday until Friday, Holt Road will shut between Horsford village and Holly Lane, with long peak hour delays likely on Church Street from its junction with the A140 Cromer Road.

From Monday, October 10 until Friday, October 14 Holt Road will shut between Holly Lane and the Holt Road/A140 Cromer Road roundabout. Holly Lane and Church Street will open, but delays are likely on both routes.

John Birchall, NDR public liaison officer, said: 'This road closure is the most difficult we've faced. Unfortunately, when we dug down, we found that the gas main was more than two metres deep and very close to a fragile water main. After looking at a number of options our engineers were forced to accept that much bigger excavations, under road closures, were unavoidable.

'It's not possible to reopen the old Drayton Lane again. We delayed sewer diversion work in August to keep the lane open, but specialist contractors are scheduled to start sewer diversions in the next few days, and any further delay could cause access problems for Horsford later in the contract by holding up construction of the realigned Drayton Lane.

'This leaves Church Street as the only route available to the south of Horsford during the first week. We will have traffic control at the junction with the A140, but it's bound to be under pressure, particularly during the morning peak.

'We would urge all users of the B1149 Holt Road to allow extra time for journeys, avoid peak hours and use alternative routes if possible.'