Archaeologists have been called in
Gas works in Exeter city centre have been halted after workers made a historic discovery. There could be delays to the end of traffic restrictions in the area while an archaeological inspection takes place.
There is currently a lane closure on South Street as Wales & West Utilities work to replace an old gas pipe. Work began on August 5 and was due to be completed in November, when gas workers will move on to other streets in the city centre.
But they have now had to pause works after digging up the pavement. They found that the old pipe goes through the base of the Roman wall, which has sections either side of South Street and parallel road Western Way.
The utility company has called in archaeologists to assess the site and establish how they can safely work around the historic wall. They say they may have to extend the completion date as a result.
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Wales & West Utilities Programme Controller, Roxanne Whittaker said: "We are working in the South Street area of Exeter to upgrade the gas network. We worked closely with Devon County Council prior to starting these works, which began last week (05 August), and are essential to keep the gas flowing safely to heat and power local homes and businesses and to make sure the gas network is ready to transport greener gas in the future.
"While we were working in the area, we discovered that the old gas pipe travels through the base of the Roman wall. Once we discovered this, we immediately paused work in order for an archaeologist team to assess the situation.
"Our engineers are now working with the archaeologist team to explore how we can upgrade the gas network safely while fully protecting the wall. Depending on the outcome of this, there may be a change to the expected South Street finish date of November. We will of course keep the local community informed of any changes.
"If anyone has any queries about our work then our Customer Service Team is ready to take your call. You can contact them on freephone 0800 912 2999 or
Around 70 per cent of Exeter's city wall is still standing, almost 2,000 years after construction began. Over the years, it has been rebuilt or reinforced in places.
The section of the wall still visible on South Street used to stand either side of the city's South Gate, which was built to protect a part of the city that was considered especially vulnerable to attack. The gate was demolished in 1819.
A few metres away, a large breach in the wall can be seen as this section was demolished to make way for Western Way in 1961.