NEWPORT Bus has announced changes to several routes following an emergency road closure in the city.

A section of Cromwell Road, in Lliswerry, was closed to all traffic today, Monday, for three weeks, for urgent work to repair a burst water main.

The neighbourhood has been the site of two sinkhole incidents in the past year.

Almost exactly a year ago, excavations were carried out on a sinkhole in Cromwell Road which turned out to have been caused by a bricked culvert carrying an historic water course running under the carriageway.

Then, in May this year, another reported sinkhole opened up on Jenkins Street, which runs parallel to Cromwell Road.

School buses will not be able to access the road and so all pupils normally catching a lift to school from Cromwell Road will instead have to do so from Corporation Road.

And several Newport Bus services will be affected by the roadworks.

Newport Bus has announced the following changes:

The Number 5 service towards Gwent Europark will follow the usual route to Corporation Hotel, and then travel via Corporation Road, the Lysaghts Institute, SDR, Nash Road and Somerton Road, before resuming the normal route from Somerton Bridge.

The Number 5 service towards the city centre will follow the normal route to Somerton Bridge, and then travel via Somerton Road, Nash Road, SDR, the Lysaghts Institute and Corporation Road, before resuming the normal route from Corporation Hotel.

The Number 9A service towards Newport Retail Park will follow the normal route to the bus depot, and then travel via Wharf Road, Chepstow Road and Somerton Bridge, and resume the normal route from Somerton Road.

The Number 9C service towards the city centre will follow the normal route to Somerton Road, and then travel via Somerton Bridge, Chepstow Road, Wharf Road and Corporation Road, and resume the normal route from the bus depot.

The Number 42 service towards Newport Retail Park will follow the usual route to the bus depot, and then travel via Wharf Road, Chepstow Road and Somerton Bridge, and resume the normal route from Somerton Road.

The Number 43 service towards the city centre will follow the normal route to Somerton Road, and then travel via Somerton Bridge, Chepstow Road, Wharf Road and Corporation Road, and resume the normal route from the bus depot.

The Number 44 service towards Coleg Gwent will follow the usual route to the bus depot, and then travel via Wharf Road, Chepstow Road and Somerton Bridge, and resume the normal route from Somerton Road.

The Number 44 service towards the city centre will follow the normal route to Somerton Road, and then go via Somerton Bridge, Chepstow Road, Wharf Road and Corporation Road, and resume the normal route from the bus depot.

The SJ4 service to St. Joseph's RC High School will follow the normal route to the bottom of Beechwood Road then turn right into Chepstow Road, travelling along Wharf Road and Corporation Road, and then resuming the normal route from Corporation Hotel. If you normally get on the bus in Cromwell Road you will either need to use route SJ5 from outside the former Black Horse pub or SJ4 or SJ5 on Corporation Road near the Corporation Hotel, Newport Bus advised.

The SJ4 service from St. Joseph's RC High School will take the normal route to Corporation Hotel and then travel along Corporation Road, Wharf Road and Chepstow Road, then turn left into Beechwood Road and resume the normal route.

The SJ5 service to St. Joseph's RC High School will follow the normal route to Somerton Road, and then travel via Somerton Bridge, Chepstow Road, Wharf Road and Corporation Road, and resume the normal route from the Corporation Hotel. If you normally get on the bus in Cromwell Road, you will need to use the stop outside the former Black Horse pub or on Corporation Road near the Corporation Hotel, Newport Bus said, adding: "Returning from school, the bus will operate the normal route." 

The SJ5 service from St. Joseph's RC High School will follow the normal route to Corporation Hotel, and then travel via Corporation Road, Wharf Road, Chepstow Road and Somerton Bridge, and resume the normal route from Somerton Road.