- Local businesses and people in Wolverhampton will benefit from a major engineering project starting on Monday 6 August
- Part of Cadent’s £65 million investment in new gas pipes for the West Midlands
- Road closures, temporary lights and diversion routes are needed to carry out work safely
August will see local gas network Cadent start work on a major engineering project to replace 1.5 kms of gas pipes in Wolverhampton’s Worcester Street so that local people can continue to enjoy safe and reliable gas supplies to heat their homes, cook their meals and power their businesses until the end of the century.
The major gas upgrade starts on Monday 6 August and is due to take 30 weeks to complete. Engineers will replace the existing ageing iron mains in Worcester Street with tough new plastic pipes, the diameter of a car tyre. These will last for at least 80 years once they are in the ground.
Steve Murray, who heads up Cadent’s gas mains replacement project in the West Midlands, said: “This project is a significant investment to make sure that local people and businesses in Wolverhampton continue to enjoy safe and reliable gas supplies this winter and for many decades to come. It is part of an ongoing programme to update Wolverhampton’s gas network.
“We appreciate that this is a busy route. We've planned the project so that the work starts during the summer school holidays when there is less traffic on the roads. However, we would still advise motorists to leave extra time for their journeys, particularly at morning and evening peak times.
“Local shops and businesses will remain open as usual. We very much appreciate people’s patience and understanding during our work.”
Cadent has planned the work very carefully with the City of Wolverhampton Highways to make sure it is delivered with as little disruption as possible.
To keep staff and road-users safe while the work is underway traffic management will be in place. The project will be split into seven phases, which will each need traffic restrictions.
The first two phases will take place from 6 August to 8 October (details below - for full details of the later phases, please see notes to editors.)
Phase 1: Monday 6 August to Monday 24 September
Salop Street will be closed between School Street and Worcester Street.
Traffic heading to Victoria Street will be diverted via Salop Street, Peel Street, Pitt Street, and Worcester Street. Traffic heading to Ring Road St Marks will be diverted via Ring Road St Marks, Penn Road Island, School Street, Pitt Street and Worcester Street.
Cleveland Street will be closed from Worcester Street to Cleveland Passage
There will be a diversion route via Salop Street, Peel Street, Pitt Street, Worcester Street, Temple Street, and Summer Row. For traffic heading to Cleveland Street from Ring Road St Marks, the diversion is Ring Road St Marks, School Street, Pitt Street, Worcester Street, Temple Street and Summer Row.
To enable access to shops and businesses while the closure is in place, the following arrangements will be in place:
- Cleveland Street will be made temporarily two-way between Bell Street and Cleveland Passage
- Temporary traffic lights at the junctions of Bell Street, Cleveland Street and Summer Row
- The no-entry from Summer Row to Cleveland Street will be temporarily lifted. To exit Cleveland Street, traffic can use the bus lane, which will be temporarily suspended between Cleveland Passage and Bell Street
The junction of Cleveland Passage and Cleveland Street will be closed
For access to Cleveland Passage, go via Victoria Street and Bell Street
Victoria Street closed southbound, between Bell Street and Worcester Street
To reach Cleveland Street, go via Skinner Street, School Street, Salop Street, Peel Street, Pitt Street, Worcester Street, Temple Street and Summer Row. For access to Victoria Street, go via Skinner Street, School Street, Salop Street, Peel Street, Pitt Street and Worcester Street
Phase 2: Monday 24 September to Monday 8 October
Victoria Street will remain closed southbound, between Bell Street and Worcester Street
Diversion route via Skinner Street, School Street and Salop Street
The junction of Cleveland Passage and Cleveland Street will remain closed
For access to Cleveland Passage, go via Victoria Street and Bell Street.
Letters will be sent to every property directed affected and customer teams will go door-to-door to discuss the work with business owners and residents.
Cadent’s customer services team will keep local people updated as the project progresses. If anyone has any enquiries about this work they should contact Cadent’s customer services team
0161 703 1000.
The project is part of a £65 million investment Cadent is making this year (2018-19), updating gas mains across the West Midlands.
To find out more about how Cadent replaces gas mains and how that affects residents and businesses go to
www.bettergaspipes.co.uk.