Revised plans to tackle sewer flooding in Uppermill go on display to the public next week.
Uppermill residents are being invited to an exhibition on Thursday 1 May to see United Utilities’ plans for a major £1 million sewer improvement scheme. The work on Church Road, New Street and Bolton’s Yard is due to start on 2 June and will take until the end of August to complete. Water engineers have been planning the scheme since last October and working closely with Oldham Council to minimise the impact on traffic.
Following consultation with residents last autumn the project team has been looking at ways to reduce the impact of a lengthy diversion route – the only route available in the area.
Tessa Smith, project coordinator at United Utilities, explained: “Everybody recognises that we must do this work to resolve the nightmare of sewer flooding for residents, but the big problem has been the diversion route. We’ve looked at our schedule from every angle with Oldham Council to see what we can do to reduce the impact. We’re now planning on working 13 days a fortnight with extended hours to get it completed as quickly as possible. And we will phase the work so that the major diversion is confined to the school summer holidays.
“We know there’s never an ideal time to do work like this but we hope people will bear with us. It’s one of the many essential upgrades that our customers’ bills help to fund and it will be well worth it when the flooding protection is in place.”
The public exhibition will be held at Uppermill Civic Hall, Lee Street, Uppermill on Thursday 1 May, from 3pm to 7pm.
A letter and leaflet with full details of the work schedule will be sent to all residents and people are encouraged to come along to the exhibition, to meet the team and ask any questions.
The Uppermill sewer scheme forms part of United Utilities’ £3.5 billion investment across the North West between 2010 and 2015, aimed at improving drinking water quality and cleaning the environment.
The Revised Schedule
The work will be completed in 6 phases:
Phase 1: Smithy Lane to Boltons Yard (2nd June – 1 week )
Affected Roads: Smithy Lane, Uppermill from a point 10 metres east of its junction with Boltons Yard to its junction with Station Road
Alternative Route: Smithy Lane, High Street, Bridge Street, Carr Lane, Rush Hill Road, Grove Road, Shaws Lane, Station Road and vice versa
Phase 2: Boltons Yard (9th June – 2weeks )
Affected Roads: Boltons Yard, Uppermill for its whole length, between New Street and Smithy Lane
Alternative Route: Smithy Lane, High Street, New Street and vice versa
Phase 3: (23rd June – 4 weeks )
Affected Roads: New Street from the junction of Boltons Yard to Church Road
Alternative Route: High Street, Church Road and vice versa
Phase 4: ( 21st July – 2 weeks )
Affected Roads: Church Road Uppermill from its junction with Pickhill Lane
Advisory Alternative Route for Eastbound Vehicles: High Street, Oldham Road, Chapel Road, Chew Valley Road, Kinders Lane, Boarshurst Lane, Haw Clough Lane, Knowl Top Lane, Gellfield Lane and Church Road
Advisory Alternative Route for Westbound Vehicles (Under 17T): Church Road, Running Hill Gate, Running Hill Lane, Ward Lane, Huddersfield Road, Wool Road, High Street
Phase 5: (4th August – 1week )
Affected Roads: Church Road, Uppermill from its junction with Pickhill Lane to a point 20 metres west of Brook Avenue
Advisory Alternative Route for Eastbound Vehicles:High Street, Oldham Road, Chapel Road, Chew Valley Road, Kinders Lane, Boarshurst Lane, Haw Clough Lane, Knowl Top Lane, Gellfield Lane and Church Road
Advisory Alternative Route for Westbound Vehicles: Church Road, Running Hill Gate, Running Hill Lane, Ward Lane, Huddersfield Road, Wool Road, High Street
Phase 6: Continuing along Church Road to outside
For further information call United Utilities on 0845 746 220 quoting project number NCA 80029009 or Oldham Council on 0161 770 3000
J15855 UU Church Road Uppermill 8pp V3 FINAL