GAS company Wales & West Utilities has announced plans for more replacement work in Dawlish.

As previously reported, the company will be back in Dawlish from April 13 to complete several kilometres of pipe upgrade.

It is part of a wider £4.8 million scheme over the next few years to upgrade gas pipes across the wider Teignbridge area, helping ensure a safe and reliable supply for around 2,300 customers.

The intensive programme of mains replacement works will see approximately 20 kilometres of gas pipes upgraded across the region.

The gas emergency and pipeline service says it will ‘work closely with Devon County Council to carefully plan projects, and manage any necessary traffic measures’.

The work in Dawlish begins on the April 13, when projects begin to upgrade gas pipes on Exeter Road and Elm Grove Road.

As part of this work it has been agreed that traffic management will be in place.

This will mean the closure of the A379 Exeter Road from April 13 to 24.

During this time there will be no access onto the A379 Exeter Road from Elm Grove Road from April 13 to 19.

Then there will be multi-way traffic lights on Exeter Road from April 24 too June 8.

This latest disruption follows more than a year of South West Water’s scheme to improve water quality and previous work by Wales and West, also in Exeter Road.

Wales & West Utilities’ Roxanne Whittaker is managing the programme and said: ‘We’re investing in our gas network to ensure it remains safe, reliable and fit for the future for the customers we serve across the wider Teignbridge area.

‘We’ll continue to work closely with the local authority, and commit to keep communities informed as projects are planned and delivered.

‘We understand our work can cause disruption, but it is essential to maintain a resilient network that people rely on every day.

‘While much of the gas network is out of sight, it plays a vital role in daily life – from heating homes to cooking meals and we know how important it is that gas is there when people need it.

'This investment will not only maintain today’s supply but also prepare the network to transport greener gases in the future.’

Further work in planned in Newton Abbot, Kingskerswell and Newton Abbot.

For more information about work in your area, visit www.wwutilities.co.uk/gas-pipe-upgrade-projects/. As projects begin, customers can also find out what to expect from the work at www.wwutilities.co.uk/services/gas-pipe-upgrades/.