Heavy downpours causing traffic and flooding problems (From Daily Echo)

8:28am Wednesday 30th April 2008

HEAVY rain and flash flooding caused havoc for motorists heading home on a busy Southampton road during yesterday evening's rush hour.

Police directed traffic into a single lane as the water reached the bumpers of some cars travelling on Millbrook Road leaving the city centre.

Numerous readers called the Daily Echo to report the problem and said traffic was backed up as far as the eye could see.

Staff from Southampton City Council's highways department attended the scene to unblock the drains.

A Southern Water spokesman said the flooding, which happened at about 6pm, was due to surface water and there was no burst pipe.

However the company has pledged to continue to monitor the situation.

One motorist said: "The traffic was gridlocked all the way past West Quay Retail Park and as far back as Town Quay.

"The traffic was crawling though the flooded road in single file. Police were marshalling the traffic as best as they could.

"I was amazed at the amount of water on the road which was not draining away."

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