Six weeks of roadworks and traffic lights along this major Calderdale route begins

The £200,000 investment programme in Sowerby Bridge will begin in mid-July and will see the replacement of sections of high and low voltage underground electricity cables dating back to the 1950s.

The work, which is being carried out by Freedom Group on Northern Powergrid’s behalf, will involve excavating in the roadway and/or footpath to lay the new cables.

The first section of work starts Monday July 12 and runs until Friday August 272021 on the A646 Burnley Road, Friendly from Northern Powergrid’s substation opposite the junction of Water Lane to just before the junction of South View.

Northern Powergrid says it has worked closely with Calderdale Council to minimise the impact of this work which is why it has been scheduled to be mostly carried out during the school holiday period.

Multi-way traffic lights will be used and will be manned between 7am and 7pm each day.

Some onroad parking bays will be temporarily suspended, but pedestrian access will be maintained at all times and Northern Powergrid will ensure that any businesses affected can make arrangements to continue to receive their deliveries.

A further section of work will take place later in the year on Timmey Lane in Friendly. This will require a two-day road closure, although access will be maintained from both ends of the road. Northern Powergrid will release further information once the dates for this work have been confirmed.

Michelle Jeffery, Northern Powergrid’s Customer Service Manager for the West Yorkshire region, said: “We’re always very aware of the potential impact of our work on people’s everyday lives, which is why we’re doing all we can to support and communicate with the local community while we carry out this important investment in the area’s electricity network.

“We’ll be issuing information to all affected customers and our letters will also provide details of how to sign up for free to our Priority Services Membership which offers extra support to customers who may be more vulnerable.

“While we progress with our work in the area, we’ll be following the latest government advice to keep our employees, contractors and customers safe and our work will be carried out in line with the latest COVID-19 health and safety guidance. With this in mind, we’re asking customers not to approach our teams if they see them working unless it’s an electricity emergency – and, if they do, to always maintain social distancing.”

* Support your Halifax Courier by becoming a digital subscriber. You will see 70 per cent fewer ads on stories, meaning faster load times and an overall enhanced user experience. Click here to subscribe