Work to upgrade over 2.4 kilometres of gas pipes in Prestatyn will begin next month.
Wales & West Utilities will start the £480,000 investment work on the 17 April and, barring any engineering difficulties, it is due to finish in October. The work is part of Wales & West Utilities £2 million investment in Denbighshire’s gas network over the course of the next two years which will help to keep the gas flowing safely to heat and power local homes and businesses long into the future.
Wales & West Utilities has worked closely with Denbighshire County Council to plan the scheme and it has been agreed that traffic management will be used throughout to minimise disruption to the local community. This will initially involve engineers working on the side streets, with work on A547 Meliden Road starting on Tuesday 9 May.
Between May and October, rolling multi-phased traffic lights will be in place on the following streets:
- Four-way traffic lights on Plas Uchaf Avenue and Aldi entrance, between 9 - 25 May.
- Three-way traffic lights on Ffordd Pendyffryn and a road closure in place on Palmeira Gardens, between 5 - 25 June.
- Three-way traffic lights on Bryntirion Drive, between 26 June - 9 July.
- Three-way traffic lights on St Elmo’s Drive, between 10 - 23 July.
- Three-way traffic lights on The Avenue, between 24 July - 6 August.
- Three-way traffic lights on Princes Avenue, between 31 July - 3 September.
- Four-way traffic lights on Meliden Road, outside the Cross Foxes public house, between 18 September - 8 October.
Wales & West Utilities will be working on other roads in the area and will inform local residents and businesses of the plans. Advance warning signs will be in place and motorists are advised to allow extra travelling time.
Wales & West Utilities Simon Williams is managing this gas pipe upgrade work. He said:
While most of the gas network is underground and out of sight, it plays a central role in the daily lives of people across Denbighshire. Whether it’s heating your home, making the family dinner or having a hot bath, we understand how important it is for your gas supply to be safe and reliable and there when you need it.
We know that working in areas like this 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.
This work is essential to keep the gas flowing to local homes and businesses today, and to make sure the gas network is ready to transport hydrogen and biomethane, so we can all play our part in a green future.
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.
Wales & West Utilities have planned the work carefully to minimise disruption during the tourism period. Summer is the best season to carry out our work as the technique used will have less impact on the environment (inserting the plastic pipes into the existing metal pipes), shorter duration, less disruption to the local community and less demand on the gas network. Upgrading the network during the colder months would require an open-cut technique, requiring road closures, a longer duration, and a more significant environmental impact. In addition, Wales & West Utilities will be working off Meliden Road as much as possible whilst prioritising the work near Prestatyn High School – Princes Avenue during the school summer holidays.
Alternatively, you can contact us on Twitter @WWUtilities or Facebook.com/WWUtilities.
Wales & West Utilities, the gas emergency and pipeline service, brings energy to 7.5m people across the south west of England and Wales. If you smell gas, or suspect the presence of carbon monoxide, call us on 0800 111 999 straight away, and our engineers will be there to help any time of day or night.