Calderdale town faces five weeks of disruption as gas replacement work is carried out

The work will start on Monday February 15 2021 and is expected to last for five weeks, completing on March 19 2021.

It has been planned in collaboration with Calderdale Council.

These works will take place on Huddersfield Road between the junctions with James Street and Southgate.

Chris Nevison, Business Operations Lead for Northern Gas Networks, said: “We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused during these critical works. However, it is vital we complete them in order to continue to maintain a safe and reliable gas supply to the residents of Elland.

“NGN is continuing to carry out its critical activities while following strict Government guidelines for safe distance working and observing health and safety guidance during the current coronavirus outbreak in England.

“We want to assure residents and road users that we will be working hard to complete this essential scheme as safely and as quickly as possible.”

Due to the current national lockdown, NGN is prioritising work in line with Government guidance, carrying out safety-critical services including responding to gas emergencies, emergency repairs and maintenance as well as planned work to replace ageing metal gas mains which need to be carried out urgently.

To ensure the safety of colleagues, customers and the community, the majority of the work is being carried out in the street, following Government guidelines for safe distance working wherever possible.

There are also extra safety measures in place to keep everyone safe and ensure that the work is Covid-19 secure.

Traffic management measures will be put in place. The work will be carried out in phases:

· On February 15, Huddersfield Road at the junction with Southgate will be narrowed. At this time there will be no impact on the flow of traffic, as a safe width will be maintained so that traffic can keep moving;

Work will then begin at the Southgate junction with Huddersfield Road. It will be controlled with manned stop and go boards from 7am until 7pm. After 7pm priority signs will be installed to instruct traffic;

· From March 1 there will be a one-way closure on Catherine Street in one direction. The closure will allow traffic to enter Catherine Street from Huddersfield Road, but traffic will not be able to exit on to Huddersfield Road from Catherine Street. The diversion in place will direct motorists along the unaffected part of Catherine Street, Elizabeth Frances Street, James Street then on to Huddersfield Road, and

· From March 5, two-way temporary traffic lights will be placed on Huddersfield Road at the junction with James Street, manned from 7am until 7pm Monday to Friday.

Drivers are asked to leave extra time for their journeys when the traffic management is in place.

All works will be carried out outside, and engineers will observe safe distance working and wear PPE at all times.

While the majority of the work will be carried out in the street, engineers will need to access customer properties to complete the project and ensure the continued safe and reliable supply of gas.

There are extra safety precautions in place for working inside: NGN engineers will wash their hands or use hand sanitiser thoroughly before entering a property and wear a face mask and gloves; they will maintain a two metre distance and ask the householders to stay in another room while they work.

Where customers are self-isolating, have symptoms or are at high clinical risk, engineers will wear full PPE when working indoors, including coveralls and eye protection.