A DIVERSION route will be in place in a village near Chester for six weeks to allow work to be carried out on underground gas pipes.

Wales and West Utilities is to start a £24,000 gas pipe investment scheme in the High Street area of Farndon from Monday.

The work will involve upgrading old metal pipes to new plastic
ones on High Street at the junction of Churton Road and along Churton Road towards Farndon Primary School.

The work is expected to take about six weeks.

Wales and West Utilities has worked closely with Cheshire West and Chester Council in planning the work and to keep disruption to a minimum.

During the work there will be two-way traffic lights on High Street and a road closure on Churton Road, where a diversion route will be signposted.

When the work reaches the junction of Townfield Lane and Churton Road, three-way traffic lights will be present and Churton Road will be reopened.

Wales and West Utilities operational manager Peter Hughes said: “We know that working on roads like this one is not ideal, but it really is essential to make sure we keep the gas flowing to homes and businesses in the area, and to make sure the gas network is fit for the future.

“We’ll have a team of gas engineers on site throughout the project to make sure our work is completed as quickly as possible while keeping disruption to a minimum.

“We’re very aware of the effect that our work can have on communities and commuters.

“We’re working closely with Cheshire West and Chester Council to agree the best way to get this essential work done while causing the least inconvenience.”

Anyone with questions about the work can contact Wales & West's customer service team on freephone 0800 912 2999 or email enquiries@wwwutilities.co.uk