£7m Investment for Spalding network - update

A £7 million investment to further improve power supplies in Spalding is nearing completion.

Western Power Distribution (WPD), the electricity distributor for the region, is committed to investing in its network to further improve supply reliability and customer service levels.

The project, which started in June, involves laying 7.5km of underground cable between Clay Lake and Park Road in Spalding. It also involves the upgrading of equipment at two existing substations. This will help to further safeguard supply reliability to around 19,000 customers in Spalding and will better accommodate any anticipated increased demands on the power network from additional development in the area.

The majority of the cable laying work is now complete and the final stages are due to start on January 5, 2015. This will involve the laying of two new cables under the River Welland between Commercial Road and Albion Street and the installation of a section of cable between St Paul’s Road and Park Road in Spalding.

“This investment will help to safeguard electricity supplies for our customers in the region for years to come by improving the infrastructure and security of our network,” said Dave Price, WPD’s Spalding Team Manager.

Albion Street will be closed between February 2 and 20, 2015 while the new cables are being laid by WPD’s contractors Morrison Utility Services, however signed diversions will be in place.

There will be traffic management in place on the following roads while the remaining work is taking place:

Commercial Road and West Elloe Bridge between January 5 and 11, 2015.

West Elle Avenueto Albion Streetand West Elloe Bridge between January 12 and 18, 2015.

Pinchbeck Road to West Elloe Avenue between January 19 and 26, 2015.

West Elloe Avenue between January 26 and February 2, 2015.

Dave added: “While this work is being undertaken, our aim is to keep any disruption to an absolute minimum. We have been speaking with Lincolnshire County Council and the Highways Agency to agree on a cable route and road diversions which create the least disruption for traffic flow in the area. We have also kept customers and business along the route informed by letter.”