The £2 million gas network improvements scheme currently underway in Great Barr and Sutton Coldfield will be entering a new phase this week.
To enable engineers to lay the new main along Pilkington Avenue, both Pilkington Avenue and Monkseaton Road will be closed to traffic from today (August 19) until September 3. In addition, three-way temporary traffic lights will be installed at the junction with Birmingham Road and Jockey Road while the work is carried out.
The new main is being laid using a process called insertion. By this method, the new pipe is pushed through the old one which reduces the amount of digging required and speeds up the work.
Stan Best said: “This work is a major scheme which will improve the gas network in this area to ensure residents can continue to enjoy a safe and reliable supply of gas. Unfortunately the work will cause some inconvenience but I can assure motorists that we are doing everything we can to keep disruption to a minimum and ask them to bear with us. The new plastic pipe we are laying will last for up to 80 years and will need little or no maintenance so this short term inconvenience will have a long term benefit.”
The work is being carried out on behalf of National Grid by West Midlands Gas Alliance. The Alliance is a partnership of two companies, National Grid and Morgan Est plc, a major utilities contractor.
The project is part of National Grid’s 30 year programme to improve the safety and reliability of the gas supply network by replacing all metal gas pipes that lie within 30m of property.
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For further media information onlt contact Jane Taylor, National Grid communications on 0121 333 2640