One of Huddersfield’s busiest roads is going to dug up for gas mains work.

And that is likely to mean 25 weeks of delays for thousands of drivers using Wakefield Road between Dalton and Waterloo, with more disruptions later in the year.

It’s down to a £200,000 upgrade to part of the gas distribution network. Northern Gas Networks (NGN) is spending the money to replace ageing metal gas mains.

A642 Wakefield Road at Waterloo, Huddersfield.

They will replace 1.3km of existing metal gas mains with more durable plastic pipes to ensure the continued safe and reliable supply of gas to customers in the area for years to come.

The project, which the company say has been carefully planned in conjunction with Kirklees Council, will be carried out in two phases to ensure the work is completed with as little disruption as possible.

Video Loading

The first phase of the work will start on Monday, April 25, on Wakefield Road between the junctions of Dalton Green Lane and the junction of Waterloo Road. This phase is expected to last approximately 15 weeks.

Phase two of the work is planned to start on Monday, August 8, with works taking place on a short stretch of the road in Moldgreen Road between Smithy Lane and Chapel Lane. This stage of the work is expected to take ten weeks to complete.

Gas engineers will be working seven days a week between 8am to 6pm.

But there is likely to be disruption. The road carries more than 3,700 vehicles every hour at peak times.

A642 Wakefield Road at Waterloo, Huddersfield.

A public meeting is to be held on Wednesday, April 13, between 4.45pm – 6.30pm at Dalton St Paul’s Methodist Church in Wakefield Road, Dalton, to let members of the public and local traders meet the NGN team.

They will be available to discuss the works in more detail.

Paul Jagger, Construction Services Area Manager for Northern Gas Networks said: “We have been working closely with Kirklees Council to carefully plan these works and will be doing all we can to minimise any disruption caused.

“We’re working closely with the local highways department to agree any traffic management that may be required in order to carry out the work safely and efficiently and once these plans are in place we’ll be communicating the plans with customers once agreed.”

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

He added: “We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused during this essential work and would like to thank everyone for your patience and support while we carry out our investment work in the area.”

The firm’s mains replacement programme will see 3,800km of old metal gas main replaced with modern plastic equivalents by 2021.