Clerkenwell Road (Goswell Road to Old Street) Phase-02

 

Start date: 17 July 2023

Duration: Approximately 20 weeks

Project manager: Jack Deaney

Local delivery partner: Murray Utilities Ltd.

 

Project overview

We are upgrading the gas pipes along Clerkenwell Road, Goswell Road and Old Street to ensure you continue to receive a reliable gas supply for many more years to come. Our aim is to replace all the metallic pipes with longer lasting plastic pipes. This means that we will need to excavate holes in the ground to access the gas pipes in order to inspect and replace them.

Due to the nature of the work involved, we have planned to deliver it in two phases to maximise efficiency and minimise disruption.

  • Phase 1 – 17/7 to 19/8 – W/B Directional Closure of Clerkenwell and lights on Goswell Road
  • Phase 2 – 20/8 to 4/10 – Full closure of Clerkenwell Road and W/B directional closure of Old Street
  • Phase 3 – 5/10 to 20/11 – W/B Directional Closure of Old Street. Multiway lights on junction of Goswell Road.
  • Phase 4 – 21/11 to 16/12 – S/B Directional closure Goswell Road.

We will keep you updated as the project progresses. 

Contacting us

Contact our Community Relations team Monday – Friday 9:00 – 17:30 on:

Freephone: 0800 389 8261
Email: info@communityrelations.co.uk

Reference number: IMGA221102

Project updates

30 October - 13:10

The new pipeline was installed Between Old street Goswell Road and Clerkenwell Road. The team had to install a 600mm tee as this part of the network is where the three main feeds that supply the city meet. The feeds are from Chelsea hospital in the west, Beckton from the east and Gospel Oak from the north. 

The new pipeline was pneumatically tested and following the successful test the new pipeline was commissioned. 

The team has been working hard and have managed to deliver this project over a month earlier than the original proposed end date. The sites are all now reinstated, fully site cleared and the roads are all fully back open. 

13 October - 15:40

The team is working on Clerkenwell Green and Farringdon Lane and have excavated on the existing gas pipe in preparation to decommission both pipelines that cross Vine Street Bridge. This due to a gas escape on one of the pipes within the bridge. 

Traffic management has been implemented on Farringdon Road and Clerkenwell Road after discussions with TfL and Islington Highways with four-way temporary signals and pedestrian crossings installed. 

The team has dug the excavations and installed support around the existing gas pipe. They will soon be ready to decommission the two pipelines crossing the bridge to remove the risks arising from the gas escape. (Please note that the level of escaping gas is currently being monitored).

The team has been working seven days a week to accelerate these works and reduce the impact on road users and the general public. 

 

6 October - Notice of upcoming gas works

 

29 September - 16:45

Excavation works completed on the 48” tee and bends in the four-way junction of Old Street, Goswell Road and Clerkenwell road.

The team has carried out a confined space entry into the decommissioned pipeline to remove the internal seals from the pipe joints prior to the insertion of the new pipeline.

146m of new pipe has now been inserted from Clerkenwell road up to the tee piece. The remaining 290m is being inserted over the weekend from Old Street up to Goswell Road.

22 SEPTEMBER - 10.00

Please be informed that due to emergency works, from the w/c 11 Setpember the team have been working to amended hours. 

These are : w/c 11 September thereafter, Mon to Sat – 7am to 5pm (no noisy works before 8am)

A number of best practice measures have been implemented to minimise disruption and complete works as efficiently as possible.  We will keep you updated as works progress and thank you for your patience while we complete these essential works.

If you have any questions please contact our team.

 

15 September - 12:20

The photos above show the work that has been ongoing on at 470m section of the existing pipe between Old Street to Goswell Road and Clerkenwell Road to get it ready for the insertion of the new longer-lasting plastic pipe.

25 AUGUST - 12.00

This week :

  • The team started to excavate in the carriageway in the road closure of Old Street
  • On the evening 21/08 a full road closure was implemented on Clerkenwell. The road closure includes multi-way signals at the junction of Goswell Road/Old Street and a segregated cycle lane provided in the closure of Clerkenwell Road. Please note: we have created a temporary loading/unloading area in the closure of Clerkenwell road for local business up to no.70
  • On the evening of 21/08 a westbound directional road closure of Old Street was implemented between Golden Lane and west of Domingo Street
  • Side road closures were implemented with access maintained. The streets are – Honduras Street, Timber Street & Domingo Street.

Local traffic diversions are in place along with bus stop closures with buses on diversion.

If you have any questions please contact our team. We will keep you updated as works progress and thank you for your patience while we complete these essential works.

 

11 August - 12:20

This week the team has been working on the existing gas pipe which has included installing a new valve which will be used when decommissioning the existing gas pipe.

They have also installed permanent anchorage which is required to restrain the force exerted pressure of the gas in the 48” gas pipe. 

04 AUGUST - 12.00

This week the team completed the final preparatory works, including the camera survey on the existing gas pipe for phase 1.

Next week the team will continue with phase 1 and plan to decommission approximately 470m of the existing gas pipe.  

We will keep you updated as work progresses.

 

31 July - 09:50

Work is underway on phase 1 as planned. Last week the team has been excavating on the existing gas pipe, they were also required to install temporary ground support within the excavation.

Next week they will be carrying out further preparatory work, including a camera survey on the existing gas pipe.

We will keep  you updated as work progresses.

 

4 July - 08:30

Today we are holding a drop-in event where some of the project team will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about our upcoming work.

  • Date: 4 July 2023 
  • Time: 15:00 -19:00
  • Location: St Luke's Community Centre, in the Bunhill room, 90 Central St, London EC1V 8AJ

No appointment necessary.

 

Summary of work completed April - June 2023

Project overview

As part of the wider large diameter replacement programme being carried out under the LMPS we will be upgrading a 870m section between Farringdon Lane and Central Street/Goswell Road. This was split into the following phases:

  1. 420m section between Farringdon Lane and Clerkenwell Road
  2. 450m section between Clerkenwell Road and Old Street/Goswell Road.

Phase 1 was carried out between April 2023 and July 2023. Phase 2 has commenced and is expected to last until December 2023.

 

29 June - 09:10

The attached notice of upcoming works document has been drafted to provide more detail on the four phases of the upcoming project.

14 June - 14:30

Today we created this new website so that we can provide regular updates. As the project progresses, we will continue to publish documents and general project updates as they come along. 

 

June 2023

Prior to insertion works commencing further excavations works were carried out at the junction to St Johns Street as due to the location of the gas pipe at this location we were unsure if we would be able to push through this section, it was deemed that this would not be possible, so the short section was needed to be replaced by open cutting the new pipe.

Aside from the this the phase 1 works progressed very nicely and we were able to get the main inserted, tested (required prior to it being connected to the gas network) and commissioned 2 weeks ahead of schedule. Now this is complete the reinstatement process to begin and road/lane closures removed prior to stating works on phase 2.

 

May 2023

Prior to work being carried out to fully decommission the section of the network that is being upgraded to allow it to be inserted with a new PE gas pipe load tests were also carried out on the gas network to further ensure there will be on in interruption to customers supply which is carried out by closing large diameter valves to shut off the section of the network that is being upgraded. Once this was confirmed the main was isolated between Farringdon Lane and Clerkenwell Road.

April 2023

All permits opened with The London Borough of Islington on 24 April 2023 with associated traffic management put in place, these closures are put in place for the safety of both the public and the operatives on site whilst ensuring traffic flow can be maintained during our works. More details on the associated traffic management and road/lane closures can be found at the top right of the page.

Survey works began on site to locate any underground utilities that might be present prior to breaking ground on the physical exactions required to carry out the upgrading of the gas pipes. Due to the ground being very congested with other utilities progress on site can be slow due to the extra care that is required when carrying out the excavations.

As part of these enabling works a trial hole on the gas pipe in Farringdon Lane (the start point for phase 1) was carried out to determine the line and depth which determined the depth was to be nearly 4m. Due to this a temporary works design was required to ensure the excavated ground remains stable to ensure the safety of any operatives working within the excavation.

The same process was used to carry out the excavation on the 48” on Clerkenwell Road (the end point for phase 1) however the same level of detail was not required due the gas pipe being considerably shallower at this location.