Major work to upgrade gas pipes under a Cumbrian A road is set to finish this week – ahead of schedule.
The pipes, under the A590, are almost 100 years old and are one of the oldest sections of gas pipelines in the North West.
The section that needed replacing was between Pennington Lane on the outskirts of Ulverston and Park Road in Swarthmoor.
The work got under way at the end of last month and the team was due to finish around the middle of October.
But after a series of tests were completed last week, Cadent said it was hopeful the work would be completed this week.
“I am pleased to say that, all being well, we should be away from site by the end of Friday, September 27, with a new distribution pipe fully installed, tested and operational,” said Mark Syers, head of investment planning (North West).
“While our works are critical to ensuring a safe gas supply to the local area, we know too that having traffic lights up on this busy road has caused disruption.
“We really appreciate everyone’s patience over the last couple of weeks.
“Upgrades like this ensure we can continue to supply gas safely to the thousands of local homes that rely on our network, for warmth in winter.
“But it also means an end to disruption caused by us having to maintain and repair pipes that – as in this case – have reached the natural end of their operating lives.”
The timing for the work was agreed with National Highways, and coincided with a short window of opportunity where gas demand and supply could be balanced such that gas has been available to all throughout.
It was part of an £80 million package of work to upgrade pipes over 30 years. More than 12km of pipes in the South Lakeland area and more than 5km will be upgraded this year.
