Into the 22nd century: Ageing gas pipes to be replaced in central Colchester

• Approximately five weeks of essential gas mains replacement work due to start in Colchester late February 2020
• Projects will help ensure local community keeps on enjoying safe and reliable gas supplies until the 22nd century
• Work will involve traffic management including phased road closures and temporary suspensions of some bus stops and parking bays

Plans have announced for a project which will help ensure Colchester continues to enjoy safe and reliable gas supplies into the next century.

Engineers are due to start the work to replace 200m of ageing gas pipes with tough new gas mains, from Friday 28 February 2020. Work will be taking place in High Street, St Nicholas Street, Museum Street, Maidenburgh Street, George Street and Stockwell Street. It will involve a number of road closures on side streets and suspensions of bus stops and parking bays. These are being done in phases to help ensure disruption is minimised.

Wherever possible the new pipes will also be inserted into the old gas mains which will reduce the need for large excavations. All excavations will be fenced off with special acoustic panels designed to reduce noise levels. Access will also be maintained at all times for local businesses which will remain open throughout the work.

For more information on what to expect please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z44ebc79ha0&feature=youtu.be

Ageing gas service pipes supplying individual properties will also need to be replaced. To carry out this work engineers will need to temporarily switch off the gas supply to affected properties. Cadent will be writing to those properties involved nearer the time. People are reminded that they should ask to see official identification – which all Cadent employees and contractors carry – before allowing engineers access to their property to carry out work.

For more on this please visit: https://cadentgas.com/help-advice/supporting-our-customers/checking-engineer-ids All of our colleagues wear identification badges which they should display when talking to you. However, if you want to check that this is not a bogus caller, please feel free to give us a call on: 0345 835 1111 - Option 2 where we can confirm they definitely work for us.

Cadent Authorising Engineer Vince Doggett said: This project will help ensure our gas network keeps the local community connected to safe and reliable gas supplies for cooking and heating until the 22nd century.

It will also cut future disruption caused by leaks from ageing gas pipes.

He added: We’ve planned the work in close discussion with the local authorities and carefully designed it to ensure we deliver it with as little disruption as possible.

If anyone has any questions about the project they call 0800 0965675 for more information.

This work is part of Cadent’s ongoing investment across its network to replace and upgrade old gas mains with safer and more durable modern pipes.