- Engineers complete ‘one of most challenging jobs in years’
- Maintenance of two pipelines attached to the Sheffield structure
- Northbound closure of A631 to be lifted within days
Essential maintenance of two gas pipelines attached to Tinsley Viaduct is set to finish over the weekend.
Scaffolding has come down, resurfacing of the footway is taking place and the northbound closure of the A631 will be lifted on Monday (26 Sep), possibly earlier.
Cadent, which manages the local gas distribution network, needed to carry out work on pipes attached to the lower tier of the structure in Sheffield.
Working at considerable height and near fast-moving traffic led Cadent to request part closure of the northbound lanes of the A631.
The M1 stayed open above, and the trams continued below.
Now, after carrying out a full inspection of the two pipelines, and completing all maintenance works, the job – which started in the last week of June – is nearly done.
Geoff Radley, Cadent’s Head of Energy Operations for this area, said: “This has to be one of our most challenging jobs for many years.
“These pipes are part of a network that helps heat homes, schools, hospitals and other buildings in Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley.
“While most of our gas network is underground – beneath roads and fields – some run above ground, like here at Tinsley Viaduct.
“This obviously brings very different challenges – and it needed lots of planning to decide the best way to do this safely, with least impact.
“We’d liaised for months with highways teams, councils, Meadowhall, South Yorkshire Police, businesses and more, to try to keep our unavoidable disruption to a minimum and finish as soon as we safely could.
“We know it’s been frustrating for motorists, in having to follow the diversion, and just want to say thank you for bearing with us.”
Cadent in South Yorkshire
Cadent manages four of the UK’s eight gas distribution networks, including the network for South Yorkshire.
It looks after 80,000 miles of pipes, which carry gas to heat homes, hospitals, schools, and other buildings, as well as fuel HGVs and provide energy for industry.
Cadent also provides the gas emergency service for the same area – ensuring engineers are available day and night to respond quickly to reported smells of gas, damage to gas assets, suspected carbon monoxide incidents, and to support the ‘blue light’ services at incidents.
The 24-hour national gas emergency number is 0800 111 999*.
Cadent is
leading projects to decarbonise energy and advancing plans to move its network away from carrying fossil gases and replace these with greener, low-carbon options such as hydrogen.