About our work
We're replacing the old metal gas pipe in Garratt Lane due to a history of leaks from this section of our gas network. Once the old metal pipe has been replaced, we will be able to ensure that we can continue provide a more reliable gas supply.
The work is progressing, and our engineers now need to excavate at the junction of Earlsfield Road and Garratt Lane. To ensure the safety of everyone around the work site, we will need to close this junction from Monday 25 November. Access will be maintained for residents and signed diversions will be in place.
Penwith Road will remain closed from the junction with Garratt Lane to the Terrace, and Magdalen Road will be closed at the junction of Garratt Lane although we will be carrying out some reinstatement work at this junction which will hopefully ease the traffic in Garratt Lane.
Once the work in Earlsfield Road has been completed we will need to close Algarve Road at its junction with Garratt Lane.
A signed diversion will be in place via Swaffield Road, St Ann's Hill, Earlsfield Road, Trinity Road, Upper Tooting Road, Garratt Lane.
We’re sorry for the inconvenience caused and thank you for your patience during this work. We understand that people can get frustrated by roadworks, and therefore we only use traffic management that we feel is efficient enough to complete these works safely for everyone.
Buses
During the time we are working at the Earlsfield Road junction with Garratt Lane the bus route 77 will be diverted as follows:
Journeys towards Clapham Junction/central London
Garratt Lane, Ram Street, Armoury Way, Fairfield Street, East Hill, Marcilly Road before resuming their normal line of route at North Side Wandsworth Common/Battersea Rise junction.
Journeys towards Tooting
Battersea Rise, Huguenot Place, East Hill, Garratt Lane before resuming their normal line of route at Earlsfield Station.
There will no buses on Earlsfield Road, Windmill Road and Spencer Park.
Updates
Friday 6 December
Our engineers are continuing essential network upgrades in the A217 Garratt Lane area to ensure nearby properties continue to receive a safe and reliable gas supply.
We have encountered significant engineering difficulties while carrying out an operation at the junction of Earlsfield Road and Garratt Lane today. This means we're unable to reopen this junction as anticipated on Monday 9 December.
Our engineers need to carry out further investigations and survey the pipes in this section of our network. To safely complete this, we need to keep Earlsfield Road shut at this junction.
These unforeseen circumstances experienced on site today mean that unfortunately it is expected to take an additional two weeks to complete work at this location. This means the estimated completion date of our work in Wandsworth provided last week will now be pushed back a fortnight. We recognise this will be disappointing for residents, businesses and commuters - particularly those reliant on bus route 77, and we'd like to apologise for the extended disruption caused by this essential work to keep everyone safe and warm for many years to come.
We'll now be working hard to ascertain the complications discovered and rectify them as soon as we can to complete the required replacement work at the junction of Earlsfield Road and Garratt Lane, before reinstating around our site, and moving the current traffic management in place to the opposite side of the road from the week commencing Monday 16 December. Our surveys and excavations on the other side of Garratt Lane will take place just south of Summerley Street and working towards the Penwith Road junction.
Penwith Road will also remain closed next week as our engineers continue to replace our old pipes between Garratt Lane and Ravensbury Terrace.
Thank you for your continued patience and understanding. We appreciate roadworks are frustrating and the impact this work is having on the community.
The sections of gas main being replaced are old metal pipes that have had multiple repairs. Replacing them with new plastic pipes will provide a permanent solution to address ongoing disruption caused by leaks. These gas pipelines not only service properties in the immediate area but provide a critical supply of gas to a large area of Wandsworth.
There are many reasons why we are not able to work at night on infrastructure of this size.
- Safety is our priority – our engineers are working with live gas flowing at a significant pressure.
- Risk mitigation – other critical infrastructure is located underground, which presents an increased risk of loss of supplies when working in night-time conditions and with less visibility. During the day, response teams are on hand if needed.
- Service connections – to speed up progress, we’re carrying out service connections to properties as we install new sections. This requires access to homes, which wouldn’t be suitable at night.
There are many reasons why engineers may not be visible on site.
- Local pressure testing – during the installation process, we need to maintain local pressures in the gas network. This needs engineers to be off site at multiple governor locations to monitor/adjust local pressures within the network. This is essential to maintain local gas supplies.
- Resurfacing – we may also not be present when resurfacing is carried out and curing of road surfaces are required.
- Collection of materials – we may need to leave site to collect parts and materials for the following day, which cannot be stored on site.
- Completed work – when further engineering works are not possible until the following day, continuing to work would take our team over their permitted working hours. This would go against safety restrictions of night-time working and mandatory fatigue restrictions enforced by the government.
To maintain network supply, we are required to work in shorter sections and extra engineers will not speed up operations.
This is not possible due to us working on a live gas supply. We can only work on short sections at a time and are unable to isolate the gas main in multiple locations as this would result in a failure to the flow of gas through our network – these mains feed a critical supply of gas to a large area of your community.
Due to the location of our work, buses are unable to access Earlsfield Road or turn around in the road.
For further information about your nearest alternative bus stop and routes, visit the TfL website.