National Grid, the UK’s largest utility, is planning to renew 900 metres of gas mains in Leyland as part of a £94m package of improvements to the North West’s gas supply network.
The £250,000 project to replace the cast iron main in Towngate at the junctions of Fox Lane and Worden Lane with new plastic pipe will begin on 20 July and will take around 10 weeks to complete.
During our works it will be necessary to close the junction of Towngate/Fox Lane/Worden Lane to traffic and diversions will be fully signposted. Temporary two-way traffic lights will be needed in Towngate, but in other areas the new pipe will be inserted into the old one where possible, reducing the need to dig holes in the road and keeping disruption to a minimum.
Operations Manager Craig Horrocks said: “The gas pipes which run beneath the streets of Leyland have served us well but the time has now come to replace them. The new pipes will last at least 80 years once we get them in the ground.
“We will do everything we can to keep traffic moving while we are working and also to make sure that local businesses can continue to operate as normal.”
The mains being replaced are a vital part of the local gas supply system. Work will be carried out by Enterprise, working in partnership with National Grid, as part of an investment of over £2 billion a year in National Grid’s gas and electricity networks in the UK. In the North West alone, £94m will be spent this year on replacing 615km of gas mains.
Craig added: “We apologise for any disruption but we are asking local people to have patience with us during our work. The short- term pain will be followed by a long-term gain – a safe a reliable gas supply system for many years to come.”
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For further media information contact Jeanette Unsworth, National Grid Media Relations on 01926 655372