DRIVERS are being warned to prepare for a mixture of lane closures, temporary traffic lights, and even a ban on cycling in Middlewich over the next four months.
SP Energy Networks is set to begin a £450,000 upgrade of the local electricity network.
The project involves installing 3.5km of new underground electricity cable and a new 11kV connection.
SP says the investment will ‘increase reliability and resilience and boost network capacity’ to ‘facilitate the connection of more green technologies like electric vehicle chargers, solar panels, and heat pumps’.
Works will start from Monday, May 18, on Pochin Way, with temporary traffic lights in place until early June to ensure the works can be completed safely.
Work will then progress into Brooks Lane Industrial Estate, before moving to Holmes Chapel Road in early July.
The plan is to keep Holmes Chapel Road open throughout the works, with temporary traffic lights in operation while a necessary lane closure is in place.
The works have been planned and scheduled in conjunction with Cheshire East Council (CEC) to keep any disruption to a minimum, with clear road signs in place to guide motorists and indicate temporary traffic management arrangements.
Working hours will be 7am-5pm, seven days a week.
Rolling temporary traffic management measures will be in place as the works programme progresses.
These will only be put in place as and when required and will be removed as soon as works are complete and when safe to do so.
The affected roads are:
- Pochin Way
- Brooks Lane
- Centurian Way – including a temporary cycle path closure, required by CEC for safety reasons while works are undertaken on that section of road. The works on this affected stretch of road should last for about 3 weeks from around 15 June.
- Dexter Way
- B5309
- Brooks Lane Industrial Estate
The Middlewich Reinforcement Project is expected to be completed by September 2026.
Steve Matthias, District General Manager for Mid Cheshire at SP Energy Networks said: “This upgrade is a vital investment in Middlewich’s future.
“By strengthening the electricity network, we’re ensuring local homes and businesses don’t just have the power they need now – they will have the power they need to go greener and grow and thrive for years to come.
“To minimise disruption as much as possible, we’re carrying out the work in stages and thank the local community for their cooperation and understanding as we deliver these essential improvements that will give Middlewich the network it needs for a cleaner and greener future.”
Works are being delivered by SP Energy Networks in partnership with Opus Utility Solutions and all works and associated traffic management plans have been agreed with Cheshire East Council.
For real-time updates on SP Energy Networks street works, visit: https://one.network/.
For enquiries, residents and businesses can contact the dedicated Middlewich community relations team by email at middlewichreinforcement@spenenquiries.co.uk or by calling 0800 188 4483.
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