Manchester: major gas work on M56 exit road

Major work to upgrade a gas main that helps to heat thousands of homes south of Manchester begins this weekend (12 Feb).
 
Cadent, which manages the local gas distribution network, needs to work on the joints of a pipe that runs underneath an exit from the M56.
 
This will be done in two phases.
 
The first phase starts in the early hours of Saturday and requires the closure of the junction 1 (Didsbury) exit to the A34 (Kingsway).
 
This will last for the week, which is school half-term holidays.
 
A diversion will be signposted, taking motorway traffic to the next junction along.
 
This phase one is important to establish precise locations for phase two work, as well as to assess the joints and enable made-to-measure parts to be manufactured.
 
There should be no disruption to gas supply in the local area during the work.
 
Phase two will take place during 2 to 18 April (Easter Holidays), following discussions with and agreement of the local authorities. This will again require closure of the exit road.
 
It’s impossible to work on this essential section of the local gas distribution network without causing some disruption. We know it’s not ideal, but hope people appreciate that we have worked closely with local authorities to plan the work in for school holiday periods, when traffic is usually a little lighter.

Cadent in the North West

Cadent operates four of the UK’s eight gas distribution networks – North West England, West Midlands, Eastern England and North London.
 
Its North West network stretches from the Lake District to Crewe and is home to 21,000 miles of distribution pipes (most of them underground) and hundreds of above ground installations. If placed end to end, that amount of pipes would stretch from the North West to Sydney, Australia, and back again.
 
Around £800m will be invested in the North West’s gas network over the next five years. This will maintain safe, secure supplies to homes, hospitals, schools, offices and other sites, as well as support the UK journey to net zero carbon emissions.
 
Backed by Cadent and many partners, the North West region is set to lead the way in a major shift from fossil gases to hydrogen. Producing only heat and water at point of use, hydrogen is key to the UK’s net zero future and is set to be introduced at volume in the North West this decade.