A PROJECT to safeguard water supplies in Teesdale is being extended after weather conditions and underground discoveries slowed workers’ progress.
Northumbrian Water’s £900,000 renewal of a large water main in Barnard Castle was affected by safety concerns around weather conditions earlier in the year, while the team working on the project also discovered large parts of the century-old pipe to be surrounded by concrete.
The weather conditions and this unexpected discovery mean work around the Deepdale Aqueduct and Lartington Lane is now expected to continue until September, having originally been planned to complete in July.
The temporary closure of Northumbrian Water’s aqueduct, which had been put in place for public safety reasons, will remain in place for the duration of the work, which is being carried out by Northumbrian Water’s partner, ESH-MWH.
The company is replacing 160 metres of water pipe, and the project includes a temporary pipe being laid across the aqueduct to ensure supplies are maintained for
customers throughout the work.
Project manager Gary Cassells said: “This was always going to be a complex project to carry out, but the unexpected conditions we have discovered under the ground, as well as some of the weather we have faced during the course of our work, mean this project is going to take longer than expected.
“We would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused by the work, which will help safeguard supplies for future generations.
“The aqueduct, which is used as a pedestrian footbridge, will remain closed for safety reasons, and we would ask members of the public to continue to respect that closure and use the diversion that is in place.
“Updates on the work will continue to be posted on our community portal at www.nwlcommunityportal.co.uk.”
This is the third lengthy closure of the bridge for repairs by Northumbrian Water in the past ten years.
The cast iron bridge was built in 1893.
