Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) is updating local residents and road users ahead of its next phase of works on Hayling Island, where the distribution operator is investing £1.5m to boost the resilience of the power supply to the island off the south east coast of England.
From Saturday 13 February to Monday 22 February, a temporary traffic management system on the A3023 will be installed to accommodate works on either side of the carriageway and to ensure the safety of residents, pedestrians, road users and SSEN's workforce. The two-way traffic light system will operate for 24 hours during this time, with manual control of the signals - by a trained operative - between the hours of 6.00am and 7:00pm, enabling a longer working day and alleviating any traffic build up.
The new working hours have been agreed with Hampshire Highways and will allow SSEN to progress the project through this built-up area more quickly, and at a time when traffic is greatly reduced due to current coronavirus restrictions.
SSEN's Project Manager, Steve Cardinal said:
"This latest phase of our £1.5 million pound local investment requires upgrade works to the cables alongside the road and the nearby substation at 120 Havant Road, and by working closely with Highways Hampshire, we have timed the works to minimise disruption to those using the nearby road.
"Advance warning signs have been in place for the last couple of weeks and letter drops have been carried out ahead of this temporary traffic management system, so we have been able to address any potential issues before undertaking this important section of work in our network upgrade."
"By allocating slightly longer working hours, we are able to cut down on the days required to complete this section and therefore reduce any potential disruption to nearby residents, pedestrians and road users. I'd like to thank those who live and work in the local area for their patience while we work to complete this substantial upgrade to their power supply."
The ongoing project, which will build resilience for the area's 8,000 residents involves upgrading and replacing 12 kilometres of high voltage cable, along with the refurbishment of the local substation, to accommodate future connections and increased demand on the network as more residents move to electric vehicles (EVs) ahead of 2030.
While initially planned to complete in November 2020, the decision was taken by SSEN to temporarily halt the works during the height of the coronavirus pandemic last year to ensure the safety of local residents and SSEN's workforce. Now, with heightened restrictions in line with coronavirus guidelines, and enhanced hygiene and safety measures in place, the Hayling Island project is progressing to plan and is scheduled to complete at the end of March 2021; providing a robust infrastructure for years to come, enabling more low-carbon technologies to connect to the network, and helping customers as they transition to net zero in line with Government targets.