Major gas works will cause disruption lasting weeks on a busy Manchester road this summer. Cadent is planning to upgrade the ‘ageing’ gas pipes running below the junction of Birchfield Road, Anson Road and Dickenson Road in south Manchester. The junction is a major route to Manchester city centre which can get extremely busy at rush hour.
Pipeline Upgrade Details
A start date has not yet been confirmed but Cadent said it wants to finish the repairs before schools return after the summer holidays. Records show that one section of the pipeline dates to 1866 and another to 1905. Cadent said the pipes have ‘reached the end of their operational lives’ and need replacing. The work is part of a planned programme to upgrade some of the oldest gas pipes in the country over 30 years.
Lucy Sterry, head of work management (north west) at Cadent, said: “This year alone, we are investing more than £90m in the north west region, to modernise around 400,000 metres of pipeline. This includes 21,000 metres within the Manchester City Council area.
Traffic Management
“These works are essential to maintain a safe and reliable gas supply to local homes and businesses for many years to come. This will also deliver environmental benefits by helping to reduce methane emissions and preparing the local network for lower-carbon gases, such as biomethane.
“There are already traffic signals at this busy junction, and these will be suspended for around four to five weeks. Temporary lights will be installed to manage traffic safely around our work areas, using a different sequence, and this will mean longer waits for motorists at times. I realise this is not ideal, but these are essential works and we have worked hard to keep disruption to a minimum.”
Timing and Coordination
Cadent say the timing of the work has come at the request of Manchester City Council in order to minimise traffic disruption. Ms Sterry added: “We agreed to Manchester City Council’s request to schedule the work during school holidays, when traffic is typically quieter. Our start date is not yet been confirmed, but we expect to complete the work and be off-site before schools return after the summer break.”
