Cadent engineers will begin urgent repair work on Monday 3rd November on a gas main beneath one of the busiest road junctions in Stockport – where Kingsway (A34) meets Gatley Road (A560) in Cheadle.
Following two nights of overnight investigations last week, a leak has been identified on a gas pipe running directly beneath the junction. This is close to the pedestrian island where people wait to cross.
While everything is under control, with temporary measures taken to ensure safety, a repair must take place soon to prevent deterioration.
From Monday evening (after 8pm), two lanes of the southbound A34 carriageway will be closed at this junction. One lane will remain open, allowing vehicles to go straight ahead or turn left, but no right turns will be possible.
Traffic will filter from three lanes into one, which is expected to cause congestion, especially during peak times.
To prevent traffic backing up onto the nearby M60 – which is only 300 metres from this junction (J3) – the southbound entrances from the motorway will be closed, in both the clockwise and anticlockwise directions.
Motorists will instead take junction 4 or 2 – depending on their direction of travel – and follow a diversion route.
If you are using the A560 Gatley Road, in both directions, you will only be able to turn left at this junction with A34 Kingsway (no through-traffic, nor right turns).
Stockport Council, National Highways and Manchester City Council have been consulted on these plans.
The site remains under regular monitoring by Cadent until then, with teams ready to move in without notice should anything deteriorate in the meantime.
Paula Steer, Network Director for Cadent in the North West, said:
“This is a very complex and challenging location for a repair, and we understand the disruption this will cause.
“Starting on Monday evening, our teams will be working on shifts, night and day, to resolve the issue as quickly and safely as possible.
“We won’t know exactly how long the work will take until we’ve dug down and assessed the pipe. But I want to reassure everyone that we’ve already taken steps to ensure the situation is under control, and gas continues to flow safely to local homes and businesses.
“We’re sorry for the inconvenience this causes. I am sure people appreciate that safety has to be our top priority, both of the public and for our teams working on site.”
