Work to upgrade an old metallic gas main supplying thousands of homes in Warrington is postponed – following the success of the town’s rugby club.
Gas network Cadent had permission to begin work on October 8 to upgrade the main which runs under a road next to Warrington Wolves’ stadium.
But, after Warrington secured a place in rugby league’s Grand Final with victory over local rivals St Helens, the start is pushed back a week.
The planning team made the move to ensure there are no issues for fans planning to take coaches from the stadium to the final in Manchester on October 13, or get in the way of any victory parade that may follow.
Work to upgrade the 300 metre section of pipe – under Winwick Road and Winwick Street – will now get under way on October 15.
The project will be completed in three sections – starting near the Rodney pub, where traffic lights will manage the safe movement of vehicles around the work area.
The teams will then move nearer to Warrington Central rail station, where they will again work under two-way traffic lights, but this time working only in off-peak hours.
The final phase will be back nearer to Warrington’s stadium. This will involve the closures – only one street at a time – of John Street, Haydock Street and Buckley Street.
There will be diversions clearly sign-posted, but motorists who need to travel this way should allow extra time for journeys.
Work is scheduled for completion in December, before Christmas.
The teams will use a technique that means gas can continue to flow throughout.
A small number of properties will need their individual supplies connected to the new main, meaning a temporary loss of supply. This will be restored on the same day it is switched off. Affected properties are being notified directly in advance.
This job is being carried out as part of a country-wide, multi-million pound investment to upgrade ageing metallic gas mains. The new pipes are tough and durable, and will keep gas flowing safely for at least 80 years.
Craig Horrocks, who heads Cadent’s gas mains replacement programme in the North West, said: “We’re upgrading this old cast iron pipe – which is about the diameter of a car tyre – so that we can ensure gas is safely distributed to thousands of homes in Warrington, to fuel central heating systems and cook meals.
“Although we had planned to start on Monday, the success of Warrington Wolves has meant we’ve had to change our plans. We’ll now start this work a week later, which ensures there’s no risk of disrupting fans’ travel or any victory parade.
“We know our work, once under way, will cause disruption and we appreciate everyone’s patience as we carry out this essential work. We hope people understand the temporary traffic arrangements are there to ensure everyone’s safety.”
Cadent is the UK’s biggest gas network. It maintains and upgrades a network of more than 131,000km of pipes, including around 34,000km in the North West. If placed end-to-end, that North West amount would stretch from Warrington to Sydney, and back again.
