MOTORISTS are braced for severe delays on some of Huddersfield’s best-known roads as several of them are set for lengthy roadworks.
Signs have gone up saying Birchencliffe Hill Road at Birchencliffe will be closed for essential gasworks for at least three if not weeks from Monday, July 24 as well as the road to the rear of 12 to 42 Thorncliffe Road.
Further urgent gasworks will see roadworks begin on St Johns Road, Blacker Road and Wheathouse Road in Birkby which will be affected for 13 weeks starting from the same day.
Garry Butler, whose butchers shop is on Lidget Street, Lindley, said he anticipated the work would impact on his shop.
He and other business owners have been sent letters by Northern Gas Networks telling them their gas supplies may be affected during the work.
Garry said: “Fortunately I am going on my summer holidays the first week and I guess that these things have to be done.
“Lidget Street is a very well used road with people attending appointments and relatives at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary so it’s bound to get very busy.
“Where the traffic lights get put up will be very close to my shop.
Northern Gas says a three-way temporary traffic lights at the junction of East Street, West Street and Lidget Street will operate from July 24.
The three-way temporary traffic lights will remain until work progresses away from the junction down towards West Street where the lights will become two-way.
All lights will be manually operated between 7am–7pm Monday to Friday. Engineers will be working from Monday to Saturday between 8am and 4.30pm.
Works have been planned in conjunction with Kirklees Council to ensure the scheme is completed with as little disruption as possible.
Paul Jagger, of Northern Gas Networks, said: “We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused during these works and thank our customers for their patience and support in getting this project completed as quickly as possible.”
Roadworks which were due to have finished in Rastrick near the fire station on Clough Lane are still there as Yorkshire Water’s operation continues.
Traditionally, major roadworks have been carried out in this country during the long summer holidays in late July and August when fewer vehicles are on the roads ferrying carloads of children from school to home and back.
