From Saturday 10 October for approximately seven weeks, our engineers will be completing gas main replacement work on Stockbridge Road. These works are essential to ensure we can continue to maintain a safe and efficient gas supply to the community and avoid disruptive gas leaks in the future.
Due to the location of the gas pipes in the road, for everyone's safety, we have no option but to complete this work under a temporary road closure.
We understand how disruptive this road closure will be for the community - our engineers will be doing everything they can to complete these works as quickly and as safely as possible.
Information Event
Wednesday 2 September
Donnington Village Hall, West Wing
Stockbridge Road, Donnington, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8QT
Pop in any time between 3pm and 7pm. The team will be there to answer any questions you may have.
Phase one
Temporary road closure from Saturday 10 October for approximately seven weeks
We'll be replacing old metal gas pipes with new plastic pipes on Stockbridge Road from the A27 roundabout junction to Grosvenor Road. A full road closure will be in place between these junctions.
- No through vehicle access between these junctions.
- Resident and shop vehicle access within the closure will be maintained via the diversion route from the Grosvenor Road end.
- No access via the A27.
- Pedestrian and cycle access will be maintained through the closure.
- Bus routes, including school buses, will be affected. Contact your service provider for updates.
- Bin collection days will remain unchanged unless advised otherwise.
Emergency service access will be maintained via the A27, with gatekeepers operating 24 hours a day to support access through the closure. The road closure will be lifted before moving on to subsequent phases of work.
Phase two
From Monday 30 November for approximately four weeks, work will take place on Birdham Road, between The Meadows and Strides Court, using multi-way temporary traffic lights.
Businesses and shops will remain open as usual.
Bus services will be affected. Further information is available here.
The section of main being replaced is a very old metal gas pipe that has had a number of emergency gas leaks. The pipe now needs to be replaced to avoid further disruptive emergency works and ensure a safe and efficient gas supply for years to come.
Where the pipes are in the road there is insufficient road width available to safely allow vehicles to pass. Closing roads is always our last option. We work closely with the Highways Team to ensure all options are considered, ultimately it is down to safety of the public and our engineers.
Due to the engineering requirements of the project, it is not safe to carry out the necessary work during night-time hours. The gas supply will remain live throughout the works and working outside standard hours would introduce additional risks.
Emergency blue-light access will be maintained throughout the closure. However, access for other vehicles will not be possible during this time.
To ensure emergency services can get through the closure, we’ll need to stop works, ensure machinery and road plates are placed over excavations. This would not be possible for the volume of public traffc/vehicles.
The nature of the work is complex, and adding more engineers in a confined space can actually delay progress and increase safety risks. We will allocate resources in a way that ensures both maximum efficiency and the highest safety standards.
For safety reasons, night-time working is not possible.
There are several reasons why engineers may not always be visible on site. To maintain gas supplies while replacing the gas main, some tasks require them to work away from the immediate area. These include:
- pressure testing at local governors
- completing gas connection work within properties
- collecting materials from nearby storage locations
- waiting for concrete to cure during road reinstatement