WORK is to start next month on the replacement of four old water mains in a flooded tunnel 60ft beneath the Manchester Ship Canal at Warrington.
The work, originally scheduled to take place at the end of August last year but delayed for unknown reasons, is expected to last about six weeks – and could cause traffic chaos.
It will involve closure of Ellesmere Road, Stockton Heath, between the entrance to St Thomas’ Church Hall and the London Road swing bridge
United Utilities will replace four old mains in a tunnel dating from the time the canal was built in the 1890s.
The tunnel is now almost permanently flooded as a result of water seeping through from the canal – and this has led to corrosion of the mains.
In addition to the water mains, the tunnel also carries gas and electricity mains, telecommunications cables and the hydraulics which operate the swing bridge.
The project is part of a wider scheme to improve water supplies to cater for the growth of Warrington in recent years.
Work will start around the middle of May and residents, businesses, police and the local authorities are being consulted.
United Utilities say every effort will be made to minimise traffic disruption, but some is inevitable.
WORK is to start next month on the replacement of four old water mains
in a flooded tunnel 60ft beneath the Manchester Ship Canal at
Warrington.
Tunnel work could cause traffic chaos
33 Comments
Share.
About Author
Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
3 Comments
No sign of any form of consultation yet….. The closure will be a little pain in the ‘you know where’ for those living round here but I guess needs must and last time UU closed areas of the same road in stages for their water mains replacement it wasn’t really too bad at all. It might deter some of the lorries and frequent speeders using it as a rat run too. I might even pop down and ask them to take my camera down with them to take some pics of the inside of the old mains tunnel… before forum member Algy beats me to it it ha ha 😉
Quote “The project is part of a wider scheme to improve water supplies to cater for the growth of Warrington in recent years.” And to further the setting in place of the infrastructure for the wider development of South Warrington no doubt!
why don’t they just build a new tunnel, put all the bits in they need to and connect the ends up over a few weekends. Less disruption and a wholy logical way to do it!