New Year, new gas mains for Birmingham’s City Road

  • New gas mains for City Road to keep gas flowing until the end of the century
  • Temporary traffic lights and a road closure needed to keep people safe
  • Work is part of a £65 million investment in the West Midlands gas network
 It’s out with the old and in with the new for Birmingham’s City Road this January as gas engineers swap ageing iron pipes for tough, long-lasting plastic ones.

Starting on 2 January, local gas network Cadent will be renewing the gas pipes, from the junction of Dudley Road to the junciton with Rotton Park Road. The work will start at the junction of Dudley Road and move down City Road to the junction with Rotton Park Road.

The work is expected to take 10 weeks and will keep the gas flowing to homes and businesses until the end of the century. It is part of an ongoing progamme to modernise Birmingham’s gas network.

Steve Murray, who heads up Cadent’s gas mains replacement programme in the West Midlands, said: “This is essential work that will mean local people can continue to heat their homes and fuel their businesses for decades to come. It’s part of a £65 million investment to renew 370kms of gas pipes in the West Midlands this year.

“To keep everyone safe we will need to use temporary traffic lights and a road closure while we work on the road. We will do everything we can to minimise any disruption.”

The work will be carried out in four phases:

Phase 1: this is expected to take three weeks. During the first week engineers will set up the work site. Once the site is set up one lane of City Road will be closed and there will be temporary traffic lights at the junction of City Road and Dudley Road.

Phases 2 and 3 are expected to take four weeks. The temporary traffic lights will remain at the junction of City Road and Dudley Road. There will also be a lane closure in Heath Green Road, close to the junction with Dudley Road.

Phase 4, the final phase, is expected to take three weeks. There will be temporary traffic lights in City Road, near the junction with Rotton Park Road. Rotton Park Road will be closed to traffic at the junction with City Road. There will be access for residents and a signed diversion route for through traffic.

It may be necessary to temporarily disconnect people’s gas supplies for short periods while their gas service pipes (the pipes that take gas from the main in the road to their homes or businesses) are replaced. People will be informed beforehand.

Cadent employees and contractors carry identification. Residents should always ask to see it before letting anyone into their homes.

If anyone has any enquiries about this work they should contact Cadent’s customer services team 0161 703 1000. People can find out how Cadent replaces gas mains and how that affects residents and businesses by going to www.bettergaspipes.co.uk.
 

Cadent

Cadent is the UK’s largest gas distribution network with a 200-year legacy.  We are in a unique position to build on strong foundations whilst encouraging the curiosity to think differently and the courage to embrace change.  Day to day we continue to operate, maintain and innovate the UK’s largest gas network, transporting gas safely and protecting people in an emergency.   Our skilled engineers and specialists remain committed to the communities we serve, working day and night to ensure gas reaches 11 million homes from Cumbria to North London and the Welsh Borders to East Anglia, to keep your energy flowing. 

Future of Gas: Here at Cadent we support the Government’s plans to reach Net Zero by 2050. That means we’re backing the introduction of hydrogen as a low carbon alternative to natural gas for the future. We know people love the controllability of gas and, with our network already in place, it makes sense to switch to the lower carbon alternative offered by hydrogen, which we believe can keep homes and businesses warm for generations to come.

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Media contacts

Rebecca Wright

rebecca.wright1@cadentgas.com

07899 983792