Major gas pipe upgrades on Aldermans Hill close roads for ten months and cause local disruption starting March 24.
Cadent, a gas distributor, replaces 2.5km of gas pipes. The work spans Aldermans Hill, Main Road, and Southend Road. It starts March 24 and ends mid-December 2025. Work begins outside number 58 Aldermans Hill in Hockley. The project has been divided into 18 phases.
The upgrades ensure a safe, reliable gas supply for decades. The new pipes should last over 80 years. That reduces future repair work on old pipes.
Local bus services know about diversions and will arrange temporary bus stops. Cadent told local schools about the works to help with school transport planning.
Emergency vehicles will sometimes use short diversions during junction closures within the roadworks. Some closures happen during school holidays. Spa Road and Woodlands Road will close at the Southend Road and Main Road junction.
Great Eastern Road will shut at Southend Road’s junction. Hockley Rise will close at Southend Road and Belchamps Way, preventing entry to Belchamps Way from Hockley Rise.
The works affect residents in Hockley, Rayleigh, and Hawkwell. Cadent is replacing old pipes with new plastic ones, preparing the area for greener gas later. Your gas supply may be off during the works, and Cadent teams may need access to your home. They will provide more information on-site.
Carl Williams discussed the project, noting many previous repairs on these gas mains. This caused traffic issues each time, significantly disrupting traffic in the area. He said they worked with the council and shortened the project schedule by ten weeks. It avoids recurrent repairs, long-term traffic and helps the reliability of the gas network.
Each phase lasts two weeks, except phases 11 and 12, which take up to three weeks. Temporary traffic lights will shift along the B1013 road.
Phase one covers 58 to 38 Aldermans Hill. Next, 38 to 14 Aldermans Hill, followed by 14 Aldermans Hill to 110 Main Road. Then, 110 to 92 Main Road. Phase five is 92 to 84a Main Road, followed by 84a to 70 Main Road. Phase seven is 70 to 60 Main Road. Next up is 60 to 46b Main Road. Phase nine is 46b to 36a Main Road. Then, 36a to 22 Main Road completes phase ten.
Phase eleven covers 22 Main to 10 Warren House. Spa Road closes at Southend Road and Main Road, with limited parking near shops. This work happens during summer holidays. Phase twelve is 10 Waren House Main Road to 58 Southend Road. Woodlands Road also closes there and parking is restricted near those shops. This phase also occurs during summer holidays.
Phase thirteen is 58 to 44 Southend Road and phase fourteen covers 44 to 28 Southend Road. Phase fifteen closes Great Eastern Road, running from 28 to 18b Southend Road. Then comes phase sixteen, 18b to 4a Southend Road.
Phase seventeen runs from 4a Southend Road to 276 Main Road. Expect traffic lights at Hockley Rise and Southend Road, with Belchamps Way shut. There will be no entry to Belchamps Way from Hockley Rise. Phase eighteen runs from 1 Hockley Rise to 18 Belchamps Way. Hockley Rise closes at Southend Road, as does Belchamps Way. No entrance from Hockley Rise remains.