Town centre phase gets underway

13/01/2006

Essential improvement work continues in a Tynedale town today.

Northumbrian Water began a £3 million scheme to upgrade 47 kilometres of water main in Hexham in April last year. 

Today workmen will move into the town centre to renew 600-metre sections of two water mains, which run from the junction of Battle Hill and Beaumont Street to the junction of Priestpopple and Chisholm Place. 

Traffic lights will be used for the town centre work, which will last up to 12 weeks.  During the first two weeks preparatory work will be done and work to upgrade the water main on the northside of the road will begin on Monday January 30. 

Improvement work on the northside of the road will last about five weeks and then work to upgrade the water main on the southside of the road will begin.

The work on the southside of the road, also from the junction of Battle Hill and Beaumont Street to the junction of Priestpopple and Chisholm Place, will take about another five weeks to complete.

Project manager for the scheme, Ken Rutledge, said:  “This work is essential to ensure the water supply is safeguarded for the future – we are renewing these two sections of water main and the new plastic pipes should last for a century.

“We have avoided carrying out this section of the work during last Summer and Christmas and we aim to finish it by Easter.  We will do everything we can, including working seven days a week, to complete the work as quickly as possible and meet customers’ requirements.”

Northumberland County Council’s executive member for highways, John Smith, said: “We have been in full consultation with all concerned and I am confident the scheme will go ahead as planned with minimum disruption.”

For further information contact Cara Hall at Northumbrian Water on 0191 301 6720 or Ron Clarke at Northumberland County Council on 01670 533 208.