A major engineering project is due to get underway in the Birmingham area this month. It will ensure that local people and businesses can continue to enjoy safe and reliable gas supplies to heat their homes, cook their meals and power their businesses until the end of the century.
In a 15-week project, starting on Monday 18 June, local gas network Cadent will be renewing ageing iron mains the size of a car tyre on the A34 Stratford Road, Sparkbrook.
The existing metal mains will be replaced with tough new plastic pipes that will last for at least 80 years once they are in the ground.
Steve Murray, who heads up Cadent’s gas mains replacement programme in the West Midlands, said: Cadent is making a major investment into Birmingham’s gas pipe network to ensure that local people and businesses continue to enjoy safe and reliable gas supplies for decades to come. This is important work to upgrade an existing gas main that is nearing the end of its natural life and needs to be replaced.
We appreciate that this is a busy route and that our work will cause some disruption. We’ll do everything we can to ensure that this essential upgrade is completed quickly and with as little inconvenience as possible.
We’d advise motorists to leave extra time for their journeys during peak times. We very much appreciate people’s patience and understanding during our work.
Cadent has worked closely with Birmingham City Council Highways to make sure that any disruption is kept to a minimum.
To keep staff and road-users safe while the work is underway traffic management will be in place. The project will be split into three phases, which will each need traffic restrictions.
A clearly signed diversion will be in place during the road closures.
If anyone has any enquiries about this work they should contact Cadent’s customer services team 0161 703 1000. To find out more about how Cadent replaces gas mains and how that affects residents and businesses go to www.bettergaspipes.co.uk.
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.
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