- Cadent preparing for final phase of essential gas mains replacement project in St Andrew’s Street South, Bury St Edmunds
- Project ahead of schedule as work resumes after being put on hold to avoid disruption during local Food Festival over the August Bank Holiday Weekend
- Essential project will help ensure local community remain connected to safe and reliable gas supplies for cooking and heating and reduce disruption
Engineers are ahead of schedule as they prepare for the final phase of a major gas mains replacement scheme in Bury St Edmunds.
The essential work is needed to ensure residents and businesses in the area remain connected to safe and reliable gas supplies with the tough new gas pipes designed to last decades.
The project was suspended and road surfaces reinstated to enable the Bury St Edmunds Food and Drink Festival to ahead unimpeded over the August Bank Holiday Weekend. Excavations were all filled in though a site compound was maintained in the area as engineers prepared to start the next and final phase of the project, which will be carried out as follows.
Engineers this week returned to finish off work between Risbygate Street and Woolhall Street before embarking on the second and final phase of the project which is due to start on Monday 3 September and which will be carried out as follows:
St Andrew’s Street South between junctions with Woolhall Street and Parkway September to November 2018)
Multi-way traffic lights, manned between 6am and 6pm, will be used to manage traffic flows. When the team reach the junction with King’s Road there will be a full road closure from King’s Road to Robert Boby Way. Any traffic coming down Robert Boby Way will only be able to turn right southbound during this time. When work reaches the junction of Robert Boby Way there will be a full road closure from Robert Boby Way to Parkway, with any traffic moving down Robert Boby Way only be able to turn left northbound on that occasion.
Cadent Authorising Engineer Vince Doggett said: “We’re sorry for any inconvenience people may be experiencing as a result of this essential project.
“However we are doing everything we can to complete our work with as little disruption to local residents, businesses and road users as possible.”
Prior to starting work engineers carried out detailed ground surveys and held discussions with local authorities to ensure the best possible plan for delivering the work was developed.
Engineers are also inserting the new pipes into the old gas mains where possible which reduces the need for large excavations and minimises disruption.
As far as possible the project was also designed to fit in with the local area, which included factoring in local events such as the Food and Drink Festival and adjusting the project schedule accordingly.
Mr Doggett added: “We managed to complete the first phase of the project ahead of schedule and people can rest assured that we’ll keep on working to finish the project as promptly as possible.
“By the time we finish our project this part of Bury St Edmunds will have a renewed gas mains network which will help ensure the local community keeps on enjoying safe and reliable gas supplies for many decades to come.”
For more information on the work call 0800 096 5678, more information on Cadent’s gas mains replacement work can also be found at www.bettergaspipes.co.uk
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