LOCALS are bracing for chaos in their town as a road looks set to close for five months.
Residents in Tunbridge Wells, Kent are facing nearly half a year of diversions in order to facilitate key gas works.
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Gas distribution company SGN’s project will involve replacing 2.2 miles of gain mains on Upper Grosvenor Road and kicked off earlier today.
SGN said: “It’s part of a 30-year programme to replace our old metal mains reaching the end of their useful lives with new plastic pipe.”
The gas network upgrades were greenlit to provide an efficient and safe gas supply to residents, they added.
Diversions will be put down to alert motorists and vehicle access for locals will continue to be accommodated.
The company said drivers and bus services would be impacted due to the road closures, which would move as it progressed along the road.
Bin collection days are also not expected to be changed, SGN said.
The company is expecting to return in 2026 to complete the second phase of its work.
LONG CLOSURE
It comes after road works started last week on a busy town road which is set to be closed for another six months.
Gas distribution company, Cadent, is replacing 1.8 miles worth of metallic gas pipes that are nearly 120 years old along a town centre.
The old pipes located in Woodbridge Road, Ipswich will be replaced with new plastic ones, with the project expected to be completed in October and last for decades.
Project manager Gary Tidman labelled the works “essential” and said they are doing their best to keep disruption to a minimum by making use of the school half-term and summer holidays.
He added: “We know it’s far from ideal to have any sort of road closures or traffic management in place in what is a busy area, but we have worked hard with the local authorities to create a plan that keeps traffic flowing and maintains access for local businesses and residents.”
The large project is being approached in phases.
This comes after concerns were raised around the length of the closures from both locals and community leaders in the area.
Ipswich borough councillor Alasdair Ross said: “The gas pipe needs replacing but it seems that this issue has run for a long time and parts of Woodbridge Road have been dug up every other week.”
A local, Julie Robinson, also added: “They keep digging up the road over and over again, and it just does not feel necessary to do it this much.”