Just days after EDF Energy finished resurfacing Oundle Road, following months of disruption caused by underground cabling work, engineers from Anglian Water were forced to dig up a section of the road again yesterday.

Officials say the burst pipe was caused by a sudden "ground movement" and emergency repairs were still being carried out this morning.

For drivers using the busy route it spelled more unwanted traffic-jam frustration.

Oundle Road has been plagued with traffic problems since work began on a £6 million redesign of London Road and Town Bridge in January 2005.

Peterborough City Council's scheme was finally completed in April, but EDF Energy has been carrying out its own works in Oundle Road since last summer.

After intermittent disruption caused by the firm's upgrade of the area's electricity supply, resurfacing work was finally completed on Friday.

And the latest mishap, while unexpected, appears to have come as no surprise to businesses in the area.

Phil Abbs, manager of Tom Russo tyre and exhaust centre, in Oundle Road, said: "I have been here since 1992 and there is always something going on in Oundle Road.

"Whenever I come to work in the morning, something is causing a delay.

"It's not a surprise to me and I've reached the stage where I can't be bothered any more.

"It just seems to be the way things are in Peterborough and in this country."

Across the street, landlord of The Office pub Andrew McEwan said his customers were getting increasingly frustrated with delays on the road.

He said: "It's obviously just an accident that a water main has burst, but the timing is pretty unfortunate with the other works just coming to an end.

"I feel sorry for the people who are getting held up, and I think they are getting fed up with it all."

Anglian Water engineers were called to repair the burst pipe at about noon yesterday after water was sent cascading into the street near the junction with London Road.

Temporary traffic lights were still in operation as the work continued this morning.

Anglian Water spokesman Dan Baker said: "We are working closely with the council to get things back to normal as soon as possible. We apologise for the disruption."