SEVERN Trent has completed a project to replace water pipes beneath a major road crossing the Malvern Hills four weeks earlier than expected.

The water company announced last month that it was investing £60,000 to replace pipes under the A438 at Hollybush, which have suffered a number of bursts in recent years.

The work began on Tuesday, January 24, and was expected to last until mid-March.

To allow engineers to work safely and to keep other road users safe while the project was completed, the A438 between Ledbury and Tewksbury was closed to traffic, with a fully-signposted diversion put into place along the A449 through Little Malvern.

But Severn Trent announced on Monday that the engineers have already completed the work, and the that the road has now completely reopened.

Gareth Mead, from Severn Trent, said: “We’re delighted that we’ve been able to complete this work quicker than expected.

“We know that road disruption can cause problems for local people so we’re pleased that everything is finished to a high standard and the road is now back to normal.”

The A438 runs from Ledbury, across the hills at Hollybush and links up with the A38 at Mythe Bridge, just north of Tewkesbury.

This project forms part of Severn Trent’s £7.5 million investment for the area which will see improvements made to the waste and water network over the next year.

A major part of the investment is the creation of a brand-new underground water storage reservoir of Cowleigh Road on the edge of North Malvern, and three miles of new water pipes linking the new reservoir to an existing reservoir at Lower Wyche Road in Malvern Wells.

The new pipeline, when completed, will run from the reservoir off Lower Wyche Road, across the Wells Common and through the grounds of Malvern College before going up Woodshears Road, along Albert Road South and North, up Zetland Road and across Link Top to Cowleigh Road.

The work is intended to replace ageing infrastructure and to ensure the viability of Malvern’s water supply for the foreseeable future.