An emergency road closure on London Road, Northwich, was introduced yesterday (10 January) to deal with an escape on an underground gas pipe.
Gas network Cadent took urgent action after discovering gas inside the cellar of a building off London Road, near the junction with Kingsmead.
The Cadent team traced the escape to a pipe that runs under the footpath.
Work is now under way to repair this, which requires the closure of the road lane heading into Northwich, to create a safe space for the team to work in.
The lane heading out of Northwich is unaffected.
“Our priority in a situation like this is always to keep everyone safe. The urgent actions we took yesterday has made sure that’s the case,” said Rachel Endfield, Customer Operations Area Manager, Cadent.
“The work we now need to do to repair the gas main is challenging and will likely continue into next week. We know this is a busy road and will work as quickly as we can to complete this. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
“I’d also like to praise the person who rang the gas emergency service to report this smell of gas. That’s exactly the right thing to do – if you ever smell gas, day or night, report it immediately to 0800 111 999*.”
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.
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.
Cadent manages the national gas emergency service free phone line on behalf of the gas industry - 0800 111 999*
Cadent Gas Ltd is owned by a consortium of global investors.
*All calls are recorded and may be monitored.
0797 069 4897
