Two weeks of disruption ahead as Whitegate Drive gas works in Blackpool enter new phase

The temporary traffic lights at the Knowsley Avenue/Condor Grove junction will be updated to a four-way system from Monday.

The new configuration is expected to remain in place for approximately two weeks.

A spokesman for Blackpool Council said: “We are expecting delays in the area, especially during peak times.

“Please plan your journey ahead.”

The ongoing work is part of a large-scale £80 million investment by Cadent, which manages the region’s gas network.

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By March 31, Cadent aims to have modernised around 420,000 metres of pipeline across the North West - equivalent to the size of 4,000 football pitches.

In Blackpool alone, approximately 9,956 metres of gas mains will be upgraded as part of efforts to replace aging metallic pipes with modern plastic alternatives.

The work is being carried out by a team of 600 skilled engineers.

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“More than 80 per cent of homes in the North West rely on gas for central heating and it’s our job to make sure they get it, safely and reliably, every minute of every day of the year,” said Mark Syers, Head of Investment Planning Office (North West), who leads the Cadent team delivering the upgrade.

“As our older stock reaches the end of its safe working life, we must replace it. We’re also excited by the arrival soon of hydrogen to our networks, which is going to be essential to the North West achieving its targets to reduce carbon emissions.

“In most cases we’re able to insert the new pipe into the old one, a technique that reduces the time of each project and means we don’t have to dig as much.

“It also means an end to what often becomes increasingly-frequent visits – with associated disruption – to repair faults on the older metallic mains, as they start to show signs of age. We know it’s not ideal, but my team is determined to move as quickly as they safely can and get the work done with as little disruption as possible.”