- Perry Barr to benefit from major gas mains upgrade
- Project is part of a £65 million investment in the West Midlands gas network this year
- Lane closures and diversion route are necessary to carry out work safely
Engineers are due to carry out a major project to upgrade gas mains in Birmingham’s Perry Barr area to help ensure that local people continue to enjoy safe and reliable gas supplies for cooking and heating.
Local gas network company Cadent will start work this month to renew nearly 680 metres of gas pipes in the A34 Birchfield Road and in the A4040 Aston Lane.
The project will be split into four phases. Phase 1 of the work is due to start in Birchfield Road on Tuesday 29 August and has been scheduled to finish on Saturday 14 October to allow the Birmingham Marathon to take place.
Phase 2 of the work has been planned to begin in Aston Lane on Monday 16 October and be completed on Friday 10 December before the busy lead up to Christmas starts.
Engineers will replace the existing ageing iron mains with tough new plastic pipes that will last for at least 80 years once they are in the ground.
To enable this essential work to be carried out safely traffic management measures will be in place:
Phase 1: work will start on the A34 Birchfield Road between the junctions of Aldridge Road and Aston Lane. To carry out the work safely it will be necessary to have a temporary lane closure in Birchfield Road between the junctions of Aldridge Road and the Island on Birchfield Road. Parking bays along this stretch of Birchfield Road will be temporary suspended.
Phase 2: work is due to take place in the A4040 Aston Lane between the junctions of Chesterwood Gardens and Birchfield Road. There will be a temporary lane closure for vehicles travelling towards Wellhead Lane. There will also be no access to Aston Lane for vehicles coming from the Island in Birchfield Road.
Stephen Murray, Head of Contract for Cadent, said: “It’s essential that gas mains are replaced and upgraded and this major project is vital for the people of Perry Barr.
“There will be inconvenience in the short-term, but the long-term benefit will be a safe and reliable gas supply for local people for generations to come.
“We have worked closely with the local council to schedule our work to avoid both the Birmingham marathon and lead up to Christmas.
“We appreciate that these are busy routes and that our work will cause some disruption. But we’ll make every effort possible to carry out this essential upgrade as quickly as possible.
“We’d advise motorists to leave extra time for their journeys during peak times. We very much appreciate people’s patience and co-operation.”
Diversion routes will be in place and clearly sign posted. All subways and pedestrian crossing will remain open throughout the project.
Phases 3 and 4 are scheduled to begin in early January 2018. Cadent will liaise with local residents and businesses to let them know when work is due to start nearer the time.
The project is part of Cadent’s £65 million programme to renew 370kms of gas pipes in the West Midlands this year, ensuring gas supplies continue to reach 2 million homes and businesses in the region.
If anyone has any enquiries about this work they should contact Cadent’s customer services team on
0800 0965678. To find out more about how Cadent replaces gas mains and how that affects residents and businesses go to
www.bettergaspipes.co.uk.