A £200,000 scheme to improve the gas network in Old Hill is due to start this month.
On 22 September work will begin to replace the old metal medium pressure main running along Halesowen Road, Barrs Road and Beauty Bank with a new hard-wearing plastic pipe. The work is expected to take around six weeks to complete.
The project has been planned in cooperation with Railtrack to take advantage of the closure of Beauty Bank to allow for repairs to the rail bridge.
Dave Garbett, West Midlands Gas Alliance project manager said: “This is a major project to renew a large medium press pipe which has reached the end of its operational life. To speed up the job and reduce inconvenience to motorists we will be using a method called insertion. By this process we push the new pipe through the old one which reduces considerably the amount of digging we have to do.
“This work is a short term inconvenience that will bring long term benefits. The new pipe we are laying is made from hard wearing plastic and, once in the ground, will last for around 80 years with little or no maintenance.”
The work will be carried out on behalf of National Grid by the West Midlands Gas Alliance, a partnership between National Grid and utility company Morgan Est. 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 contact Jane Taylor, National Grid Communications on 0121 333 2640