Bypass to close for 3 weeks

by Lisa Reeves

Wednesday 7^th March 2012

Wed 7^th Mar 2012

The Alderley Edge bypass will close for a three week period to enable works to be carried out to the electricity pylons and lines.

Whilst the bypass is shut traffic will be diverted through the village for three weeks and a number of Public Right of Way footpaths will also be closed for short periods for public safety.

The initial plan was to close the bypass from the end of May, but National Grid have confirmed today that Cheshire East Council's highways department have requested the dates are changed so they are currently in discussion to agree revised dates.

National Grid is investing £28 million on refurbishing 178 pylons and two sections of overhead line which run between Daines near Manchester, Macclesfield and Cellarhead near Stoke on Trent. These are part of the network of overhead lines, underground cables and substations that carry high voltage electricity across the country.

A spokesperson for National Grid said "We need to close the bypass because the overhead line crosses over the road in two places. It would not be safe for our engineers, or for motorists, if we were to carry out works with traffic passing below the line."

Engineers will be replacing existing conductors and repairing or renewing steelwork, foundations and other equipment on some of the pylons. There will be no interruption to electricity supplies during the work.

William Fenton, Project Manager said: "Our purpose is to connect people to the energy they use. This £28m investment will help ensure we can all continue to rely on having energy at our finger tips. Our society is built on the warmth and light we rely on at home, and the power which keeps our factories and offices going."

National Grid has been working with local authorities, the Environment Agency and Natural England to plan the works on the lines which cross roads including the M56, railways and waterways.

They will be writing to homes and businesses directly affected by its work on the lines in the area and advance notice will be given of road and footpath closures. For further information about the work call 0800 389 7235.

As soon as the dates are confirmed for the closure we will publish details on alderleyedge.com.

Tags:: A34 Bypass

Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Alan R Davies

Thursday 8^th March 2012 at 9:11 am

Unbelievable! I think that we need answers to the following questions:

1) How much are National Grid paying for the closure of the bypass?
2) Are they planning to close EVERY road which is crossed by cables?
3) Are they proposing to close the bypass because it is cheaper to them than alternative safety measures?
4) Since it appears that this work needs doing about every 50 years, why couldn't they replace the cables crossing the bypass before it was completed?

Dominic Brown

Thursday 8^th March 2012 at 2:23 pm

We wait 75 years for the bypass and now this..

Marc Asquith

Friday 9^th March 2012 at 9:45 am

More bizarrely - as far as I recall, National Grid were one of the consultees when we were putting the bypass through the planning and public inquiry process. Such lack of foresight and planning leaves me aghast.

Hugh Munro

Friday 9^th March 2012 at 4:36 pm

Hopefully the revised dates won't coincide with the road closure in the centre of Alderley for the jubilee celebrations as was the original plan.

Martin Sinker

Saturday 10^th March 2012 at 4:50 pm

I'm sure we have all seen the usual safety system for working on overhead lines crossing major roads, which consists of a high scaffolding structure on each side of the road, supporting a sort of cradle or hammock of netting, slung below the overhead lines to prevent anything falling onto the roadway. This is expensive, and no doubt the cheaper option (for National Grid) is to have the bypass closed. It would be reasonable to ask who approved this decision and why, also can the job be carried out in less than three weeks if a little more is spent on shift-working and project planning.

The same overhead lines also cross the A34 and A537 at Monks Heath - what will be done here?

Saturday 10^th March 2012 at 4:58 pm

And Martin - the West Coast Main Line - no one gets to close the railway nowadays !!

Saturday 10^th March 2012 at 6:42 pm

I suspect that the issue is that the true cost of closing the bypass doesn't show up on the accounts of either National Grid or Cheshire East, it is the cost of delays and wasted petrol for thousands of motorists, and the nuisance to local residents of again suffering gridlock and traffic fumes in the village. I would be interested to know if National Grid are actually paying for the closure, and if so, who is getting the money and where is it going.

Craig Browne

Tuesday 13^th March 2012 at 2:05 pm

Yippee! Three weeks peace and quiet at least. I wonder if the project can overrun? :-)

Tuesday 13^th March 2012 at 7:13 pm

It may be three weeks of peace and quiet on Wilton Crescent, but it's going to be three weeks of hell for the rest of the village. By the way, surely somebody who visits this site must know the answers to the questions I raised previously. I would hope that Cheshire East Council has sufficient transparency that a Freedom of Information request would not be necessary.