Northern Gas Networks (NGN), the gas distributor for the North of England, is carrying out essential work to ensure the continued safe and reliable supply of gas to customers in the Bradford Road area of Birstall in Kirklees, West Yorkshire.

The ageing metal pipework is now being replaced by new, more durable plastic pipes, in a project that will begin on Monday 20 July 2020.

The work is expected to last for nine weeks, having been planned in collaboration with Kirklees Council. It will take place on Bradford Road, Bridge Street, Mill Street and Smithies Moor Lane.

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.

So that engineers can carry out the work safely and efficiently, and to protect the public, some traffic management measures will be put in place. This is a complex project with a number of different phases, which are set out below:

• On Monday 20 July the existing six-way traffic lights at the junction of Huddersfield Road and Bradford Road will be replaced by temporary six-way lights. These lights will be manned between 7am and 7pm Monday to Friday, 8am and 5pm on Saturdays and 8am to 4pm on Sundays. This will help to keep traffic flowing smoothly in all directions.

• Also on Monday 20 July, the small road that runs between Bradford Road and Smithies Moor Lane will be closed until 6 August. This is a well-used road as it allows drivers to avoid waiting at the traffic lights at the junction ahead. Drivers will instead need to continue up Bradford Road to the traffic lights and turn left onto Smithies Moor Lane.

• From Monday 27 July, the junction of Smithies Moor Lane and Bridge Street will close and is due to re-open on 9 August. There will be a diversion in place to take drivers around the junction; further along Smithies Moor Lane, on to Huddersfield Road, then on to Mill Street and before drivers re-join Bridge Street on the other side of the closure.

• From Monday 10 August, a road closure will be in place at the junction of Huddersfield Road and Mill Street. There will be a diversion in place which will take drivers around the closure in a loop; along the open section of Huddersfield Road, right on to Smithies Moor Road, right again on to Bridge Street and then back on to Mill Lane. This diversion is expected to be in place until 14 September.

The diversions and road closures will be fully signposted before and during the works, but they are likely to add to travelling times so motorists should allow longer for journeys.

NGN will provide regular updates about the works and the different phases on our website, on our Facebook page and on Twitter @NGNgas.

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

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

As well as NGN’s critical service (which include responding to gas emergencies, carrying out emergency repairs and critical maintenance activities) engineers are carrying out work to upgrade critical infrastructure, including planned work to replace ageing metal gas pipes, where most of the work can be carried out safely in the street.

Engineers will only request entry to a customer’s property if it is absolutely necessary in order to ensure their safety, the continuity of a safe gas supply or at a customer’s request. Customers can read more about our Covid Secure Promise at here.

For further information about the work please contact NGN’s Customer Care Team on 0800 040 7766 or email: customercare@northerngas.co.uk.

Anyone that smells gas or suspects carbon monoxide should call the National Gas Emergency Service immediately on 0800 111 999. This line is in operation 24-hours a day, seven days a week.