ROAD closures will take place in Dawlish as gas upgrade work begins in the new year.

Wales & West Utilities is starting work to upgrade gas pipes in the Old Town Street area of Dawlish.

A spokesperson said: ‘The £200,000 investment work, which starts on January 3, is essential to keep the gas flowing safely to heat and power local homes and businesses.

‘Barring any engineering difficulties, it is due to finish by the end of April.

‘Wales & West Utilities has liaised with Devon County Council to plan the work and it has been agreed that traffic management will be in place throughout. This initially involves road closures on:

Old Town Street (January 3 – April 18)

Park Road (March 6 – April 28)

Queen Street (April 3 – 28)

Wales & West Utilities Travis Wheatle is managing this gas pipe upgrade work.

He said: ‘While most of the gas network is underground and out of sight, it plays a central role in the daily lives of people across Dawlish.

‘Whether it’s heating your home, making the family dinner or having a hot bath, we understand how important it is for your gas supply to be safe and reliable and there when you need it.

‘We know that working in areas like this is not ideal, but it really is essential to make sure we keep the gas flowing to homes and businesses in the area, and to make sure the gas network is fit for the future.

‘We’ll have a team of gas engineers on site throughout the project to make sure our work is completed as safely and as quickly as possible while keeping disruption to a minimum.

‘This work is essential to keep the gas flowing to local homes and businesses today, and to make sure the gas network is ready to transport hydrogen and biomethane, so we can all play our part in a green future.’

‘Our Customer Service Team is ready to take your call if you have any questions about our work. You can contact them on freephone 0800 912 2999.

‘Alternatively, you can contact us on Twitter @WWUtilities or Facebook.com/WWUtilities.’

He added: ‘Wales & West Utilities, the gas emergency and pipeline service, brings energy to 7.5m people across the south west of England and Wales.

‘If you smell gas, or suspect the presence of carbon monoxide, call us on 0800 111 999 straight away, and our engineers will be there to help any time of day or night.

‘Before visiting, we'll ask you to let us know if you or anyone in your household, is experiencing Coronavirus symptoms or self-isolating.

‘We'll still come and help you: but our teams will take some additional precautions to keep us all safe.’