A £1 million cable upgrade under the Manchester Ship Canal at Warrington, which has caused road closures and traffic hold-ups over the last seven months, is nearing completion.
The project, carried out by SP Energy Networks, which owns and operates the electricity cables and power lines for most of the Cheshire area, is set to finish work this month.
The project will strengthen the electricity network area connecting more than 30,000 customers.
Underground cables which pass through tunnels constructed when the canal was originally built 120 years ago have been replaced.
A crew of 20 staff from the company and its civil contractors have been involved in the operation which started in October last year.
The work in the tunnel required the pulling through of heavy power cables in demanding working conditions due to the layout of the tunnels, which are normally filled with water.
However workmen succeeded in replacing the cables and will restore the area to normal working conditions without any delays.
Andrew Jewell, SP Energy Networks’ delivery manager for mid-Cheshire, said: “We’re really pleased with how the team has been performing to date in completing this difficult job on time and to such a high standard. Although there has been some disruption for the general public in the surrounding area, we have communicated the importance of the work to the local community – in particular the local residents affected by road closures and heavy plant in the area.
“Due to the site location, the work involved extensive work in dark and wet underground tunnels, which made planning and carrying out the work difficult. As a result, we carried out a strict regime of monitoring the team whilst they worked in the confined space of the tunnel.
“We also had a rescue team permanently on hand should difficulties arise. From a long-term perspective, it is good to know that Warrington’s strategic power network reliability is being enhanced, reducing the chance of future power losses to our customers.”
Mr Jewell added: “All the strategic supply cables and associated communication circuits have now been installed in the tunnel running under the canal. The pumps that have been keeping the tunnels free from flooding while the work was carried out to help replace the electric
cables will now be removed and the tunnel will slowly fill back up with water over the coming weeks. The final phase which is currently being completed is to connect these cables back onto the network and restore the main Warrington electricity network to its normal operating configuration. We then intend to return the area to its original condition.”
Ellesmere Road, Stockton Heath, was the road most affected by closures and hold-ups while the project continued.
