We’re preparing to carry out essential gas network upgrades in the Halfway Road area of Sheerness. This work will ensure a continued safe and reliable supply of gas is delivered to nearby homes and businesses. This is part of our 30-year programme of work to replace our old mains, reaching the end of their useful lives, with new, reliable plastic pipe.
Our contractor, WCB Utilities, who are completing this project on our behalf, will be starting work in the week beginning Monday 21 October. We expect this project to last for approximately 12 weeks.
To ensure everyone’s safety, we’ll need to temporarily close the following roads around our work site while we have excavations open.
St Katharine Road from Monday 21 October with an estimated end date of Monday 4 November. We’ll be working from outside number 18 to the junction of A250 Halfway Road. Access for residents will be via Danley Road, where the one-way restriction will be suspended.
A250 Halfway Road from Monday 4 November with an estimated end date of Monday 23 December. We’ll be working from the junction with St Katharine Road to outside 328 High Street. We’ll be working with a closure in place from the junction with St Katharine Road to the junction with Power Station Road. We’ll then reopen the road and continue towards the bridge using two-way traffic lights. When we reach the bridge, we’ll need to close the road around our worksite again until we finish outside 328 High Street.
Signed diversions will be in place for affected motorists where roads are closed. Access will be maintained for residents and businesses.
We understand roadworks can be frustrating. However, the new plastic pipe has a lifespan of 80 years. This means that once our work is done, Sheerness residents and businesses will be able to enjoy the benefits of a safe and reliable supply of gas for many years to come.
Update - Thursday 7 November
Our work to replace our old gas pipes along A250 Halfway Road is progressing well.
However, as we approach this Sunday's Remembrance Day parade outside Sheerness Station, we've agreed with the local authority and other organisations, to temporarily lift our closure area this weekend. We expect to reopen the road from midday tomorrow and the closure will be reintroduced on Monday morning (11 November) for us to safely continue our gas network upgrades.
We've received some queries about the level of closure since it was introduced earlier this week. While people have questioned if vehicles could safely pass our current work area, we've needed space to deliver machinery and equipment to the site and carry out underground plant surveys. We'll need to excavate nearer the centre of the carriageway shortly to access and replace our pipes. We understand this closure is frustrating for local road users, but please be assured that we only use the level of traffic management necessary to keep everyone safe around our sites. As soon as we're able to, we'll revert to having temporary traffic lights in operation and provide an update here.