Saddleworth to be affected by roadworks as part of a £380m programme

Saddleworth will be affected by road works from next week as United Utilities carries out £270k worth of improvement works.

The water company plans to upgrade more than 3km (1.9 miles) of its water mains network in Diggle. 

The three-month project will start on Monday, November 24, targeting residential streets off Huddersfield Road. The first roads in line for the works are Cornwall Crescent; Dorset Avenue; Gloucester Drive; and Kent Close. 

The residential highways will be affected until December 12, according to Transport for Greater Manchester, with minor impacts expected on local parking and congestion. 

The project will see ageing water mains replaced with a new pipeline that is designed to last more than 100 years. It’s part of a £380m programme to upgrade 925km of water mains during the next five years, with more than 200km of them across Greater Manchester.

Liam Garvey from United Utilities’ Water Services team in Greater Manchester said: “The improvements we are delivering in Oldham will make the water network in the area more resilient. These replacement mains are built to withstand high pressure and temperature variations which will help protect against bursts 

“This work will play an important role in helping us deliver a reliable water supply to customers for decades to come. But we know this type of work can be disruptive and we are doing all we can to keep that to a minimum.”

The new pipework will be installed using the slip-lining technique where new pipes are inserted inside the old, minimising disruption by reducing the need for large excavations, according to United Utilities. 

The water firm says it has already notified residents in the area, and is reminding customers that all United Utilities’ employees and contract partners carry ID cards and will be happy to have their identity checked.