The 13-week project is set to take run from the beginning of September until the end of November, working over two phases.
Initial focus will be in the area around the junction linking Fort Road, Fermain Lane, Route de Sausmarez and Les Hubits. The road will be closed between Rue de Putron and Le Varclin and there will also be no access to Les Hubits from Route de Sausmarez during the entire period.
The first phase, from 9 September to 20 October, will involve building a new substation and installing high and low-voltage cable ducting. Work will then continue off the public highway for around three weeks before the second phase from 9 to 30 November. This work will focus on connecting the new equipment to the wider network and removing the old infrastructure.
The company has said the length of the project was due to two factors – the number of cables it needs to install, and the sheer volume of existing utilities in the junction, which means that the excavation work required is likely to be extensive.
‘We appreciate that a closure of this size and duration will be disruptive,’ said senior delivery engineer Adam Greening.
‘We really wish we didn’t have to close the road for such a long period of time, and this is not a that has been taken lightly. However, we urgently need to complete this work as some of the equipment being replaced is nearly 60 years old and not designed for modern levels of electricity demand.
‘This project is critical to ensuring we can continue providing the area with a secure and reliable supply of electricity long into the future.’
Residents, businesses, motorists and bus users are being urged to familiarise themselves with diversion routes and allow extra time for journeys. Cyclists will be able to pass through the works if they dismount.
St Martin’s constable Dave Beausire said the douzaine had been consulted throughout the planning process and was supportive of the scheme and the timing of it.
‘It’s work that’s got to be done,’ he said. ‘It’s for an electric substation which is needed with the new housing development. To be fair, they’ve kept us well informed and they’ve worked it around the school holidays which is the best time of year to do it.
‘It will enhance the supply in the area and reduce power cuts, and it’s just a necessity with all the development going on here. It will be a few weeks of disruption, but it’s all worth it.’
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