Wales & West Utilities is set to start the final phase of a gas pipe investment scheme in Yeovil town centre which will make sure that the gas keeps flowing to heat local homes and power local businesses for years to come.
This final phase of the scheme follows work completed on Princes Street earlier in 2017 and involves working on Church Street, Wine Street and Peter Street toupgrade old metal pipes to new plastic ones. The work will start on 15 January 2018 and, barring any unexpected engineering difficulties, it is expected to be complete in 10 weeks.
Ahead of the scheme Wales & West Utilities has worked closely with Somerset County Council and to keep disruption to the town centre and to local road users to a minimum it has been agreed that the scheme will be split into three phases.
- Phase one which starts on 15 January, will involve upgrading gas pipes on Church Street and High Street and should take four weeks to complete. A road closure on Church Street from the junction of Princes Street to outside Porter Dodson will be in place during this phase. Access for pedestrians will be maintained at all times.
- Phase two will involve upgrading gas pipes on Wine Street. This phase of work will start in the week commencing 5 February and should take three weeks complete. A road closure on Wine Street, from the junction with High Street to the junction with Union Street, will be in place during this phase. A diversion route will be clearly signposted and access for pedestrians will be maintained at all times.
- Phase three will involve upgrading gas pipes on Peter Street and will begin during the week commencing 26 February. A road closure on Peter Street, from the junction with Bond Street to the entrance to the car park, will be in place. Parking bays on Peter Street will be suspended and a temporary two-way traffic system will be in place to maintain access to the short stay car park. Access for pedestrians will be maintained at all times.
Wales & West Utilities Programme Controller for the area, Barry Sale, is managing the work and said:
“We know that working on roads like these is not ideal, but it really is essential to make sure we keep the gas flowing to homes and businesses in the area, and to make sure the gas network is fit for the future. We’ll have a team of gas engineers on site throughout the project to make sure our work is completed as safely and as quickly as possible while keeping disruption to a minimum.
“We’re very aware of the effect that our work can have on communities and commuters. We’re working closely with Somerset County Council to agree the best way to get this essential work done while causing the least inconvenience.”
Our Customer Service Team is ready to take your call if you have any questions about our work. You can contact them on freephone 0800 912 2999 or enquiries@wwwutilities.co.uk.
Alternatively, you can contact us on Twitter @WWUtilities or Facebook.com/WWUtilities.
Wales & West Utilities, the gas emergency and pipeline service that serves the south west of England and Wales, puts customers at the heart of the business and is rated the top utility company in the UK for customer service. If anyone smells gas, thinks they have a gas leak, or suspects carbon monoxide poisoning, they should call us on 0800 111 999 and our engineers will be there to help, day or night.
The company also has a multi-million pound, 30-year gas pipe investment programme which began in 2002. Old metal pipes within 30 metres of buildings are being upgraded to new long-lasting plastic pipes with a lifespan of more than 80 years, to make sure homes and businesses continue to receive a safe and reliable gas supply now and in the future.