A major gas leak caused traffic chaos on one of the north’s busiest roads.
Part of a freshly-paved cycle path along the eastbound carriageway of the A96 Inverness-Aberdeen route started to bulge upwards as it poured out of an underground pipe.
Motorists were sent on a lengthy detour as engineers carried out emergency repairs on a section of the main between Elgin and Lhanbryde.
Police set up road blocks to stop drivers and cyclists from approaching the area as workers wearing protective masks battled to stem the leak.
The drama unfolded as gas distribution network SGN launched a six-week programme to replace an outdated main less than five miles from the scene of the leak.
But the firm last night insisted the incident was “unrelated” to the upgrade scheme.
A spokeswoman said experts were investigating “a number of factors” which could have caused the leak.
Roadblocks were set up at the roundabout outside Elgin’s KFC restaurant, on the eastern exit from the town, and near the Moss of Barmuckity, west of Lhanbryde.
Eastbound drivers were forced to leave the busy trunk road at its junction with the A941 to Lossiemouth, and had to travel 30 minutes along the road and the B9103 to Sheriffston before resuming their journey.
Westbound motorists were faced with the same detour – in the opposite direction – until the road reopened at 3.30pm. The alarm had been raised around 1.30am.
SGN spokeswoman, Katie Lobban, said: “We had engineers on site to carry out an emergency repair.
“We worked with the police and Bear Scotland to minimise disruption as much as possible, we are aware this is a busy route.
“This emergency work was unrelated to the gas mains replacement works that we are currently carrying out along the east of the A96 through Elgin.”
The incident followed a morning of travel disruption near the eastern section of the A96 through Elgin yesterday, as that scheme got under way.
Normally quiet streets near the heart of the town became gridlocked with traffic, as stretches of the trunk route were closed.
Traffic tailed back almost the length of Ashgrove Road at points during the morning, as people tried to make their way from one side of the town to the other.
Last night, Elgin City South councillor, John Divers said he was resigned to the town experiencing “huge traffic issues” over the summer.
Councillor Divers added: “Congestion is already very bad on the roads around the south of Elgin, and it goes without saying that this will add to that.
“For the next six weeks, there will be huge traffic issues.
“I expect that, as more people are affected, we may hear more complaints about it.”
However, Mr Divers conceded the work was “essential” and that the period during the school summer holidays was the best time for it to be carried out.
Work between Pansport Road and Ashgrove Road will take place in stages until almost the end of August.
SGN project manager, David Munro, said he understood motorists would experience some “frustration”.
But he said that a new plastic pipe being installed would have a minimum lifespan of eight decades, and that homes and businesses served by it would have a “safe and reliable gas supply for many years to come”.