By Harry Mottram: Wales and West Utilities are currently updating gas pipes in Jubilee Road in Axbridge with the work scheduled to last until March 9, 2023.
A set of two way traffic lights have been installed along with ramps and pedestrian diversions.
Residents should have received letters informing them of the work. The utility firm state on their website:
- You’ll notice signs and safety barriers being set up before we start work.
- Our colleagues are really friendly, so please ask them if you have any questions.
- We want to cause as little disruption as possible and so we use the latest technology to help with this.
- We will put in the hours to get the work done as quickly as possible.
- There may be traffic lights which result in delays, but we’ll work hard to keep the traffic flowing and the roads safe.
- We try to keep digging to a minimum, but you’ll probably see a few holes in the road or pavement.
In their Twitter feed they said: “We’re ready to take your call if you have any questions about our work. Call freephone 0800 912 2999, or contact us on Twitter @WWUtilities or Facebook.com/wwutilities.”
The work is replacing old often metal pipes that sometime date back decades or even to the 19th century with plastic ones with new hydrogen-ready pipes, to reduce the amount of natural gas ‘leakage’such as methane natural gas that escapes into the air.
The change is nationwide and first began back in 2002 after the Health and Safety Executive identified a potential safety risk from gas leaks from older gas mains pipes. In Old Church Road in Axbridge there have been numerous leaks over the years – partly caused according to workmen by traffic impacting on the ground above the pipes.
The other reason is gas in the future will change to hydrogen and biomethane which have a much smaller impact on global warming. The nationwide programme will “deliver the world’s first zero carbon gas grid by moving Britain’s gas network infrastructure from delivering methane-based natural gas to zero carbon hydrogen and biomethane.”
There is plenty more information about gas and what is happening with Wales and West Utilities on their website at https://wwutilities.co.uk/
Axbridge News is edited by Harry Mottram and is published for the interest of himself and fellow residents
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