Motorists are celebrating as the worst part of disruptive gas works come to an end.
A long running £2.5m project to replace 3km of ageing cast iron gas pipes along Leeds Road, has this week been located at the junction of Bradley Mills Road.
Despite lower than usual traffic volumes due to the half term holidays, the Northern Gas Networks (NGN) project has caused huge jams, delaying shoppers, commuters and even Kirklees Council’s bin wagons.
But drivers heading home this evening will rejoice as the four-way temporary traffic lights are set to be removed at 4pm.
The joy is set to be shortlived though as the project is set to move on to another part of Leeds Road with work continuing for another eight months.
Neil Travers, NGN’s site manager for the works, said: “These mains have been in the ground for up to 100 years and we are replacing them with more durable plastic pipes.
“We started these works on May 2 outside the UK Superbowl and these works have a duration of 67 weeks, having a completion date of June 2018.”
Mr Travers said Northern Gas Networks had actually reduced potential disruption by using a technique that inserted the new pipes inside the old metal ones.
He said: “By doing this we have reduced the need to completely close Leeds Road in its entirety which would bring traffic in and out of Huddersfield to a standstill.
“We’ve had four-way traffic lights in place, which albeit is disruptive, is keeping the traffic moving at critical times.”
Roadworks seem to have sprung up all over Huddersfield during half-term.
Many Examiner readers have complained that so many are taking place at the same time.
