COMMUTERS are being warned to expect disruption next week when work gets under way to replace a 90-year-old water pipe.

The 10in water main, which runs through the Elvet area of Durham City, is being replaced with an 11in main following a series of floods which have caused chaos in the city centre.

Twice in the last two years the main has burst, flooding city centre properties and leaving up to 1,000 homes and businesses without water. In November, the cellars of the Half Moon pub were filled with up to 8ft of water and a similar flood, in May 2003, also caused extensive damage to stock.

On Monday, Northumbrian Water is to start a £50,000 programme to replace a 500-metre stretch of main, with work expected to last four weeks.

The main runs from the junction of New Elvet and Old Elvet up to Hallgarth Street in the city centre.

From Monday, the lane on Hallgarth Street running out of the city will be closed to traffic. The lane running into the city will remain open, but there will be temporary diversions in place.

From Wednesday, the permanent traffic lights at the junction, near the County Hotel, will be replaced with temporary lights to try to keep traffic flowing.

Replacement work is being carried out using "trenchless technology", in which smaller holes are dug and the pipes are slid into place to keep disruption to a minimum.

A spokeswoman for Northumbrian Water said: "We apologise for any inconvenience and we are working with the local councils and transport authorities to keep any disruption to a minimum, but it is essential work."