A suburb of Chester will be overrun with essential gas mains renewal work over the next five months.

National Grid engineers are replacing five kilometres of gas mains in three main areas: Meadows Lane, Lache Hall Crescent and Lache Park Avenue.

Roads affected by the work include: Meadows Lane, Bottom Lane, Cross Hey, Appleyards Lane, Prenton Place, Beeston View, Allington Place, Hartington Street, Andrew Crescent, Queens Park Road (starting at the junction of St Johns Road), Queens Drive, Edinburgh Way, Charles Crescent, Lache Hall Crescent, Lache Park Ave, Marlston Ave, Dover Road and Rydal Grove.

Work will start on Tuesday April 1 and is expected to be complete by the end of August. Traffic management will be in place including the closure of the Bottom Lane junction of Edinburgh Way with diversion routes clearly signposted.

National Grid is carrying out the work in partnership with Balfour Beatty as part of an on-going programme to replace metal gas mains with modern plastic gas pipes designed to last at least 80 years.

Stephen Murray, contract manager, National Grid, said: “People across Cheshire enjoy a safe and reliable gas supply and our job is to make sure it stays that way. The new mains we are laying will last at least 80 years so while there will be some traffic delays in the short term, the long term benefit will be mains which will last for many decades to come.

“We’ll be replacing mains on a number of main roads and in residential areas. We promised we’ll let people know when we’re about to start work. We’ll get the job done as quickly and as tidily as possible. We’ll do our best to keep traffic flowing and to make sure streets and driveways remain accessible.

“If people want to know more about our work and how it will affect them, they can get in touch with us on 0161 703 1000 or 1010.”

A video which shows what people can expect to see during the operation to renew gas mains in their street can be viewed on Google or YouTube by entering National Grid Gas Mains Replacement (UK) in the search box.

National Grid will be renewing around 430km of gas mains in the North West over the next twelve months. This is part of a £22bn programme of investment in the company’s energy networks in the UK and US over a five-year period.