Electricity upgrade to be 'disruptive' to traffic

Work to upgrade power infrastructure is expected to cause "disruptive" road closures, Guernsey Electricity says.

The planned work in St Martin was part of a multimillion-pound programme to "enhance, replace and upgrade" the network, project leaders said.

The plan was to carry out the work in two stages over a 13-week period between September and November, they added.

The first stage would see the construction of a new substation and installation of high and low-voltage cable ducting, and the second would focus on connecting the new equipment to the wider electricity network, they said. Bosses also said they wished they did not need to cause disruption, but the work was "urgently" needed.

The initial focus of the infrastructure upgrade was to be in the area around the junction that linked Fort Road, Fermain Lane, Route de Sausmarez and Les Hubits, bosses said.

Guernsey Electricity said that the length of the project was "primarily due to two factors", being the "number of cables" that would be installed and the "sheer volume of existing utilities in the junction", meaning excavation work is "likely to be extensive".

The utility said there would be no access to Les Hubits from Route de Sausmarez during the closure period.

From 9 September to 20 October, work was due to be carried out at the Fermain Lane-Route de Sausmarez junction, then would continue off the public highway for three weeks, staff said.

Fort Road and Route de Sausmarez were due to be reopened between Rue de Putron and Le Varclin during this three-week period, they added.

Then, from 9 November until 30 November, final works would resume in the area, they said.

Businesses would be accessible via the relevant side during the work.

Guernsey Electricity said Fermain Lane would close to traffic for some short periods during the work, but staff were "engaging closely with the kiosk and Tower accommodation to manage the impact".

Pedestrian access would remain.

Adam Greening, senior delivery engineer at Guernsey Electricity, said: "We really wish we didn't have to close the road for such a long period of time... [but we] urgently need to complete this work.

"We appreciate that a closure of this size and duration will be disruptive."

He said some of the equipment being replaced was "nearly 60 years old and not designed for modern levels of electricity demand."

"This project is critical to ensuring we can continue providing the area with a secure and reliable supply of electricity long into the future", Greening said.

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