Essential fibre work to shut road for months

It is the latest stage of the expansion of Guernsey's fibre network.

The work will start at the Dairy end of the road on Monday 17 July. The final stage of the work will be the top of Rectory Hill, which will finish on 15 December.

A letter has been sent to people living in the area, informing them about the work, which will last for 18 weeks.

'The road closure is necessary for the development of Sure's telecommunications network as part of the Guernsey Fibre project,' the letter from contractor Geomarine stated.

'This work will pave the way for faster and more resilient broadband and landline services, which will become available from local telecoms providers.'

Guernsey Fibre is bringing the new fibre network to 30,000 homes in Guernsey and so far the upgrade has been completed without any major road closures, instead using short-term works and one-way systems, temporary traffic lights and parking restrictions.

But that will change in 10 days' time, when work will start to lay 1.4 miles of ducts and fibre cables underground, as well as on existing telephone poles.

Guernsey Fibre programme director Richard Cartland was pleased that the project was progressing well.

'Long-term roadworks are a challenge on a small island,' he said.

'We are working very closely with the States and our contractor, Geomarine, to ensure that disruption is kept to a minimum. These works are essential to future-proof the island's telecommunications infrastructure for decades to come.'

The plan is to deliver fibre to almost all Guernsey properties by the end of 2026.

The first closure will be Route de St Andre, the road from the crossroads towards the Co-op En Route, which will start on Monday 17 July.

It will shift to Route de la Croix au Bailiff on Saturday 22 July and work steadily north along the road over the summer and autumn.

The final closure will be top of Rectory Hill, between Castel Church and Ruette Creve Coeur, between 20 November and 15 December.

However these dates could change as work progresses, depending on digging conditions.

The vast majority of the closure passes through St Andrew's, and the first stage of the work will see motorists diverted down the Talbot Valley.

St Andrew's senior constable Martin Thwaite said the parish understood the closure was necessary, but said it would cause problems.

'There's going to be a lot of disruption, not just for St Andrew's residents, but also for commuters,' he said.

There will be further disruption in St Andrew's during July and August, with Route de St Andre and Route des Blicqs, near Blanchelande, shutting from Monday 24 July until Friday 18 August to allow for road resurfacing work.

Details of road closures and diversions are published at roadworks.gov.gg/