Major Gas Works in Boothferry Road ,Goole

Thousands of homes and businesses across Goole are to get a £60,000 boost to their gas supplies.

Engineers working on behalf of Northern Gas Networks, the region’s gas pipeline company, will start replacing one of the town’s most important gas mains on July 23.

As well as guaranteeing safety, the new plastic pipeline will also bring more gas than even into Goole to cater for the town’s burgeoning demand.

Work involves replacing approximately 500m of old cast iron gas main along Mariners Street and Boothferry Road. It will take approximately four months and will be carried out by contractors United Utilities and Morgan Est.

The first phase of work will involve the temporary closure of Mariners Street on July 23 for up to six weeks. Access will be maintained at all times and short local diversions will be sign-posted. Traffic lights close to the level crossing on Boothferry Road will be manned at peak times.

Once complete, Mariners Street will re-open and engineers will move into Boothferry Road, where they will replace the section of main between the level crossing and the junction with Parliament Street. There will be no further road closures but traffic lights will be in operation in short sections until the project is completed.

United Utilities network officer Andy Barr, who is overseeing the scheme, said engineers and highways officials had spent a great deal of time trying to devise ways to minimise the inconvenience of the essential project on local people.

“Unfortunately, because the size of our new pipe is so big we have no choice but to dig in the road way. However once in place, our new pipe should have a lifespan of many, many decades,” he said.

Chris Gorman, network director for Northern Gas Networks, said projects like the one in Goole were vital for the safety and reliability of the gas supplies to local families and businesses.

“We appreciate that our work will be inconvenient but we will do everything possible to keep the disruption to the absolute minimum. Like many places, demand for gas in Goole is rising every year and this project means our network will always be able to deliver the gas the town needs.”

To ease the strain on the local community, engineers will work at weekends when possible.