Essential work to replace an important gas main at a road junction in Erdington will take place next month.
To minimise disruption to traffic, replacement of the medium pressure gas main running through the junction of Sutton Road and Chester Road has been planned carefully to take just one weekend.
Work will start at 7pm on Friday 06 June and will continue, around-the-clock, until 6am on Monday 09 June.
During this time, four-way traffic lights will be set up at the junction and there will be lane restrictions on all approaches. Traffic travelling eastbound along Chester Road will be diverted via Birmingham Road along Penns Lane and Eachelhurst Road onto Chester Road. Other diversions and alternative routes will be signposted to help minimise congestion in the area while the restrictions are in place.
The work is part of a major project to replace more than 17 kilometres of old metal gas main in the area with new, durable plastic pipe which, once in the ground, will last for up to 80 years with little or no maintenance.
Project manager Stan Best said: ‘Unfortunately there is never a good time to carry out work on a junction as busy as this one so we are doing the work over a weekend in a bid to reduce inconvenience for motorists. We will be working throughout the weekend to make sure we can reopen the junction in time for the Monday rush hour.’
The work is being carried out on behalf of National Grid by West Midlands Gas Alliance, a partnership between,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 30 metres of property.
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For further information contact Jane Taylor, National Grid Communications on 0121 333 2640