Motorists face around 6 months of disruption in and around Newchurch when a major project to replace thousands of metres of ageing water pipes gets underway in October.
Southern Water is to begin replacing old water mains and connections between Winford Road and The Shute from 5th October, with the work expected to continue until early April 2027.
Some 3,686m of water main will be replaced during the project, which Southern Water says is aimed at reducing the risk of bursts, leaks, water discolouration and interruptions to supplies.
It’s said that some of the existing pipes are made from cast iron and have been in the ground for up to 100 years.
Plans for the scheme show that 2,150m of new PE pipe will be installed, alongside the renewal of customer service pipes to property boundaries. A total of 1,815m of uPVC pipe, 798m of 4-inch cast iron pipe and 1,203m of 3-inch cast iron pipe will be removed.
The scale of the project means a rolling road closure will be required, with the location of the closure moving as work progresses.
Teams will start on Winford Road before making their way towards The Shute.
A diversion route, agreed with Island Roads, will take traffic via the A3056 through Horringford and Arreton, before continuing along The Downs Road and Knighton Shute.
Residents have also been warned that there could be short interruptions to their water supply while homes are connected to the new main.
Southern Water says any interruption should last no longer than 4 hours at most and affected customers will be given 48 hours’ notice. Teams will knock on doors and leave a card if nobody is home.
Before work begins, a drop-in session is being held at Newchurch Pavilion/Newchurch Football Club on Watery Lane, Newchurch, on Wednesday (2nd September) between 15:30-18:00.
Residents will be able to meet the project team and find out more about the work, with free parking available at the centre.
Southern Water says it is investing £100million a year to reduce leakage through measures including fixing known leaks, pressure management, installing smart meters and replacing ageing pipes.
