An update about our works at the junction of A34 Kingsway and A560 Gatley Road

Trevor Lubbock, Customer Operations Area Manager at Cadent:

Firstly, I want to say thank you to everyone for their ongoing patience as we deal with the emergency repair to this gas main.

I know it is disruptive and my team has been working as fast as we can - night and day - to complete this work, which is all to ensure safety.

Our work so far has concentrated on fixing leaks in two joints, requiring two deep excavations. Last night, we completed those two repairs. This means that, today, we are reinstating the excavations - a process that involves allowing time for the surface to ‘cure’ [set], which will take until tomorrow (Friday).

There will be periods over the next 24 hours when you will not see any of the team onsite. We must wait for the reinstated road surface to cure before we can move to the next phase.

Once we are satisfied it is fully cured, we can then reduce the lane closures on Kingsway from two to one, which should allow the exits of the M60 (currently closed) to be reopened. All being well, this should be tomorrow evening (Friday).

This arrangement creates a safe working environment for our team to begin work at a second identified location, close to the island in the middle of Gatley Road, at the junction with Kingsway [on the Cheadle side of Gatley Road].

Although we should be able to reopen the M60 exits at junction 3, major traffic management is still needed at the junction of Kingsway and Gatley Road, which will mean continued disruption to traffic.

I am sorry for the inconvenience and hope people understand this work is essential to keep everyone safe and supplied with gas.

We are resourced and ready to continue working on this through the weekend.

This remains an incredibly challenging job, at a very busy road junction. We have made great progress over the last three days and nights, and I just ask for your continued support and patience as we move onto this next - and hopefully final - phase of work.

If you smell gas, do not assume it is related to this work. It may not be and needs to be checked. Act immediately and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999*, day or night.

*All calls are recorded and may be monitored

Timeline (indicative, subject to change)

Monday 3 to Wednesday 5 November: Work carried out day and night to repair leaks on two joints of a gas pipeline.

Thursday 6 and Friday 7 November: Reinstatement - including a period to allow the new road surface to cure [set].

Friday 7 November (evening): Work area moves - to near the central island in Gatley Road, at the junction with Kingsway, with new temporary traffic arrangements agreed as follows:

• M60 exits at junction 3 reopened
• Southbound A34 Kingsway: reduced to two lanes - with traffic permitted to travel straight ahead only (no left or right turns at junction with A560 Gatley Road).
• Northbound A34 Kingsway: traffic permitted to travel straight ahead and left turn at Gatley Road.
• Westbound A560 Gatley Road (heading from Cheadle): no through road - road closed - at junction with A34 Kingsway. Diversion signposted. Access maintained for residents only.
• Eastbound A560 Gatley Road (heading to Cheadle): left turn only - no right turns, or travel straight ahead. Diversion signposted.

From the evening of Friday 7 November onwards: Cadent engineers will work to pinpoint the location of a leak on this section of underground pipeline and complete the necessary repairs. The aim is to complete this to enable the road to reopen as soon as possible. It is not possible to give a definite end date, as much depends on what the engineers find once they dig down to this section.

You will find the original press release we issued on this work here.