A FURTHER extension has been granted for road closures on Elphinstone's Main Street due to a delay in connecting part of a new housing development to the sewage system.

The main route through the village has been closed due to roadworks since July 1 and will now remain shut until October 11.

The approved design for the nearby Elfenne Gardens site currently being built by Bellway Homes Ltd has two connection points in the village which connect to the Scottish Water drainage network.

One of these, taking a portion of the site waste, was connected at the beginning of the summer and is functioning as planned.

However, the connection of the second to the waste network has been delayed while Bellway waits for a component part from Germany, which has caused the extended road closure.

Instead, a chamber and tanker solution has been implemented, with waste being vacuumed into a second chamber on site once the first fills, and from there is discharged into the existing drainage network.

A spokesperson for Bellway said that this exercise was completed three times per week.

Due to this delay with the second connection point, the road closure has now been extended for a second time.

Roadworks were originally due to be in place for two months between the junctions of Buxley Road and Tranent Road, and the road was set to reopen on August 25.

However, an extension to the work was granted, moving the date for reopening to September 22.

READ MORE: Road closure in Elphinstone partially extended by four weeks

The scope of the closures was decreased to allow for greater movement for local traffic, but the road outside 10 to 14 Main Street has remained closed to vehicles, and requests for a second extension have now been approved.

The road is now due to be closed until 4.30pm on October 11.

The Bellway spokesperson said: “The connection of the second connection to the waste network has been delayed due to external issues in connecting the system.

“It is a complex piece of work which has been delayed while we wait for a component part from Germany (which has been delayed).”

Pedestrian and emergency access is being maintained and the diversion takes motorists along Tranent Road and Duries Park.