Motorists warned of rush hour delays as as £21m project to clean and replace Wirral water pipes moves to Hoylake and Moreton

Oct 26 2011 by Lorna Hughes, Bromborough and Bebington News

A £21M project to clean and replace water pipes in Wirral moved to Hoylake this week.

United Utilities is laying a new pipe on the stretch of Birkenhead Road from the junction with Chapel Road up to the Railway Inn pub.

The work is expected to take four months to complete.

Work is also scheduled to start on the Moreton Cross roundabout on Saturday for approximately six weeks.

This part of the project is preparation work for the replacement of a pipe next year stretching from Barnston to Wallasey.

The five-year project, which began late last year, will see almost 25 miles of pipe updated in parts of Wallasey, Ellesmere Port, Birkenhead and Heswall.

In some cases the pipes being replaced date back more than 90 years.

Peter Cummings, project co-ordinator, said: “We are doing everything we can to minimise inconvenience during the work and we are keeping residents, businesses and motorists fully informed as the scheme enters different areas.”

United Utilities says water supplies will not be interrupted but motorists are being warned to expect delays, particularly during rush hour.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane in both directions at the junction of Hoylake Road and Upton Road while the work is carried out in Moreton.

In Hoylake, traffic lights will be in operation and will be manually controlled at busy times.

Part of the project involves cast-iron pipes being cleaned and lined with plastic pipes, which United Utilities says will give the old network a new lease of life.

Natural deposits of iron and manganese can build up in pipes over many years.

Although they are not harmful to health, the deposits can water discolouration.