Update on 20th October 2021
Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, added complications this week coupled with bad weather have meant we’ve not been able to carry out the repair in the way we’d hoped to.
We are extremely sorry for the inconvenience and disruption this is causing to both residents and commuters.
This is a hugely challenging project, particularly as we are next to an electricity substation and underneath a pylon, which present major hazards. Our efforts - out of sight - so far have managed to keep gas flowing safely to 30,000 homes this pipe feeds.
The only option open to us now is to replace around 100 metres of pipe. This will take some time - several weeks - and we must keep the road closed during that.
We can maintain access only, as we have to date, for residents and businesses along that road.
We cannot though let vehicles pass the work area safely, so it cannot be opened as a through road. We are taking steps to install fixed barriers as we have had instances of cars ignoring the road closure and driving through. This is extremely dangerous as there is a huge excavation covering half of the road and vehicles passing alongside this could cause the excavation to collapse or otherwise endanger the safety of our workers, who are not expecting any traffic.
We’re continuing to keep gas flowing too.
We are doing everything we can to resolve this as fast as we can and would ask that you bear with us. The safety of the public and our teams is our number one priority.
Original post - 13th October 2021
Engineers fixing a leak on a gas main – which has required the closure of Peel Road, Blackpool, for several weeks – today gave an update on their progress.
Gas network Cadent is repairing a 12-inch-diameter pipe that carries gas to heat more than 30,000 homes in the local area.
Largely out of sight, because the road is fully closed, the workers have faced several challenges, including that the pipe is in close proximity to an electricity substation and pylons.
With safety the first and absolute priority, the Cadent teams have been able to keep gas flowing throughout this extensive repair operation.
Now the team have confirmed work to create an extra section of gas main, which will bypass the area where the leak is coming from, should be finished within the next week.
“This is major engineering, a big job, and our team has worked hard to keep everyone safe and to keep gas flowing,” said Kevin Thompson, customer operations area manager for Cadent.
“We’d been getting calls about a smell of gas in the local area and tracked it to this main, which runs underneath Peel Road.
“This pipe operates at medium pressure and that means we have to take extra care and follow lots of safety procedures to carry out the work.
“We’ve been monitoring gas readings through the day and during the nights, to make sure everything is within safe levels.
“Due to the nature of the leak, it simply hasn’t been safe to keep the road open as a through road, but we have been able to maintain access for local businesses, farms, residents and facilities.
“We’re at a point now where the bypass should be completed within the next week, so that we can have the road open again by the end of next week [w/c 18 Oct].
“We’re incredibly grateful for the goodwill and understanding shown to our team from everyone in the local area.”
Cadent in the North West
Cadent manages the gas distribution network in North West England – more than 21,000 miles of underground pipes that transport gas to heat homes, hospitals, schools, offices and other buildings, as well as its many industrial uses and increasing popularity as a fuel for HGVs and other heavy vehicles.
This huge network of pipes will be a key part of
UK and local journeys to net zero carbon emissions, with Cadent preparing it to carry hydrogen instead of fossil gas within years. Hydrogen, a zero-carbon gas at point of use, is on track to start being introduced in the North West from this decade.