Pylon work to shut part of major road
THE Silk Road will be partially closed throughout the summer holidays as National Grid continues work on overhead power lines.
During last year’s work it was found that improvements and repairs were needed to the foundations of two pylons in Macclesfield.
One is between the Middlewood Way and the Silk Road behind Tytherington Drive, and the other is next to the footbridge over the Silk Road.
Work is planned to take place from Monday, July 20, for around eight weeks for the pylon behind Tytherington Drive and for three weeks from the same date for the one near the footbridge.
This means the inside lane on the Silk Road’s northbound carriageway will be closed 24 hours a day from July 20 until September 8 for safety reasons.
And the inside lane on the southbound carriageway will be closed between 9.30am and 3.30pm each day from July 20 until August 8 to allow workers to access the site safely.
Kevin Harper, National Grid project engineer, said: “Our overhead line is a key part of the critical national electricity infrastructure and we need to progress these works to ensure our network is ready for next winter.
“Our people who need to continue working on site and in the community are doing so under stringent health and safety measures to protect, not just themselves, but also the communities in which they operate, and these measures will be regularly reviewed.”
During the work contractors Balfour Beatty will be digging out the old foundations and replacing them with new ones. Footpaths nearby will also be affected. The one that runs from the gate onto Rugby Drive playing fields and north up the Middlewood Way will be closed from July 20 until September 8.
An alternative
route, which will be signposted and have vegetation cleared, is via the footpath to the east of the Silk Road. And the footpath that runs between Clarke Lane and connects with the Middlewood Way will also be closed from July 20 for three weeks.
The alternative route is via Clarke Lane where it connects to the Middlewood Way and will be sign posted.
Mr Harper said: “Before we can start work, we’ll need to lay trackway to allow machinery to get to the pylons safely and to protect the ground.
“We’ll also need to clear a large number of trees behind Tytherington Drive and temporarily remove the soil mound in that area. We’re sorry that we have to do this, but it is the only way we can create an area large enough and safe enough to work in. We’ve designed our work to minimise the number of trees affected.”
The trees removed will be replaced and soil removed will be put back.
National Grid has issued over 4,000 letters to local homes and businesses about the works and has apologised for any delays to journeys.
Anyone with questions can contact them on freephone 0800 8199 071.