National Grid has started work on a nine-week £150,000 project to renew 500 metres of gas mains in Blackburn town centre.
The 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.
The gas main being replaced is in the pedestrian area of the town centre, and work will affect Lord Street West, King William Street, New Market Street, Town Hall Street, Sudell Cross and The Mall shopping centre.
In order to keep disruption to a minimum the new pipe will be inserted through the old one, reducing the amount of digging needed and speeding up the work.
Operations Manager Craig Horrocks said: “The gas pipes which run beneath the streets of Blackburn 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.
"The mains being replaced are a vital part of the local gas supply system and are essential to ensure that the town can continue to enjoy a safe and reliable supply.
“We hope to have the work completed by 21 December and we will do everything we can to maintain access to local businesses so they can continue to operate as normal, especially as we will be working in the run-up to Christmas.
“The work in Blackburn has been brought forward at the request of the local authority as they plan to carry out improvement works in the town centre once the gas mains replacement programme is complete.”
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 and 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