An urgent closure of Queens Drive, Liverpool, will be in force from around 5pm today [28 March] as engineers repair a leak on a gas pipe three metres beneath this busy road.
After an assessment earlier today, Cadent, which manages the city region’s gas network, needs to move in immediately to ensure everyone is kept safe.
The closure, which will affect one direction of traffic only (the southbound lanes - see image below), near Townsend Avenue, is needed to enable teams to dig down to the pipe.
Checks have been made of nearby buildings and Cadent is satisfied everyone is safe. But this urgent work must happen now to make sure it stays that way.
The engineers will be working near Queens Drive’s junction with Townsend Avenue, and there will be a diversion route signposted.
Dale Martin, Cadent’s Customer Operations Area Manager for Liverpool, said: “We were first alerted to this by a member of the public reporting in a smell of gas.
“They did exactly the right thing – calling the national gas emergency service on 0800 111 999* so that it could be checked out by our teams.
“The leak is coming from a pipe that runs around three metres underneath Queens Drive, so we have no option but to close the lanes to work on this.
“We will have teams working round-the-clock, 24 hours, to get this repair completed as soon as we can.
“I would expect this will still take days though, given the scale of engineering and work that needs to take place.
“We know this is a busy road and trust that people understand we have to put safety above all considerations.
“We really do appreciate everyone’s patience while we get this work done.”
There should be no impact on gas supply – gas stays ON during the work.
If you smell gas during this work, nearby or anywhere, always ring the national gas emergency service immediately, day or night, on 0800 111 999*. Do not delay, or assume it’s related to this work. It may not be and must be checked.
Cadent operates four of the UK’s eight gas distribution networks – North West England, West Midlands, Eastern England and North London.
Its North West network stretches from the Lake District to Crewe and is home to 21,000 miles of distribution pipes (most of them underground) and hundreds of above ground installations. If placed end to end, that amount of pipes would stretch from Bolton to Sydney, Australia, and back again.
Around £800m will be invested in the North West’s gas network over the next five years. This will maintain safe, secure supplies to homes, hospitals, schools, offices and other sites, as well as support the UK journey to net zero carbon emissions.
Backed by Cadent and many partners, the North West region is set to lead the way in a major shift from fossil gases to hydrogen. Producing only heat and water at point of use, hydrogen is key to the UK’s net zero future and is set to be introduced at volume in the North West during the 2020s.
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.
Cadent manages the national gas emergency service free phone line on behalf of the gas industry - 0800 111 999*
Cadent Gas Ltd is owned by a consortium of global investors.
*All calls are recorded and may be monitored.
0797 069 4897
