NORTHERN Powergrid will be starting the second phase of its major £30 million programme to upgrade Bradford's electricity network.

Since October 2019, the company has been working on Phase 1 of the programme, which has involved digging in the road to lay 42km (around 26 miles) of new underground electricity cables with a route length of 7km (roughly 4.5 miles) from a major substation in Wilsden through Allerton, Lower Grange, Crossley Hall and Fairweather Green to Cemetery Road near Four Lane Ends. This work will be completed in October.

Phase 2 of the programme will be ongoing until the end of 2022 and involves excavating in the road to lay a further 90km (around 56 miles) of new underground electricity cables with a route length of 10km (6 miles) from the substation in Wilsden to another substation on Canal Road near the city centre and an electricity tower located on King’s Road.

This involves digging in the road along sections of Wilsden Road, Haworth Road, Toller Lane, Heaton Park Drive, Heaton Road, Oak Lane, Manningham Lane, Queen’s Road, Station Road, Canal Road and King’s Road.  

Having completed work along a section of Lane Side, Wilsden during May and June, Northern Powergrid is now about to start on the next section of the Phase 2 route along Haworth Road, Sandy Lane.

From Monday, August 17, to Friday, October 2, multi-way traffic lights will be in operation while work is carried out along Haworth Road (B6144) between the junction with Bingley Road (B6269)/Toller Lane (B6144) and Stoney Ridge Avenue.

And from Monday, September 7 to Friday, October 16, a section of Haworth Road (B6144) will be closed between Stoney Ridge Avenue and the traffic lights at Cottingley Road (B6146)/Stony Lane. A signposted diversion will be in place along Bingley Road (B6269), Cottingley Cliffe Road (B6269) and Cottingley Road (B6146).

There are no plans to turn off anyone’s power as part of this work. Vehicle and pedestrian access will be maintained at all times to those homes and businesses on both sections of the route and Northern Powergrid is writing to everyone directly affected with more information.

For details of how local bus services will be impacted, people should visit www.wymetro.com or call 0113 245 7676.

Steve McDonald, Northern Powergrid’s General Manager for the West Yorkshire region, said: “We’ve already been working in Bradford for almost a year, during which time we’ve experienced a great deal of support and co-operation from our local customers and stakeholders for which we are very grateful.

“At the end of the day, although our £30 million investment will ultimately improve the reliability and resilience of the electricity supply to around two thirds of the city, we know that our work can also cause a degree of disruption while it’s ongoing. 

"We will, of course, continue to work with Bradford Council to try and minimise this disruption, as well as looking at how we can provide support for the communities we’re working in as we move along the Phase 2 route through Sandy Lane, Heaton and Manningham.

“We’ll also be continuing to follow the latest public health and Government advice to keep our employees, contractors and customers safe and our work will be carried out in line with the latest COVID-19 health and safety guidance. With this in mind, we’re asking customers not to approach our teams if they see them working unless it’s an electricity emergency – and, if they do, to always maintain two metres social distancing.”