Road reopens after 12-week water pipe installation

Rue de L'eglise was closed for 12 weeks

A main road in Guernsey has reopened after 12 weeks of work.

Rue de L'eglise, Castel, was closed to allow Guernsey Water to complete part of its ring main project, which is said happened ahead of time and on budget.

Guernsey Water said the ring main acted like a motorway for the water network.

Workers will now move on to Mont D'Aval and Beaucamps, which have been closed until 1 September for chamber refurbishments.

Pedestrians and those cycling will be able to pass through the road closure, if observing signage, and a diversion will be in place along L'Aumone and Rue du Presbytere.

Guernsey Water said the closure of Rue de L'eglise involved the installation of 500m (about 1,640ft) of pipework under the public highway.

It said it had initially planned for the work to take place in two parts, the first being completed this year and the second completed in 2026.

However it has been fully installed under a single closure of 12 weeks, it said.

Carl Falla, capital delivery manager, said: "It's very difficult to predict any difficulties and delays the team may come across during a project like this."

He added: "We are delighted that minimal issues combined with an amazing team, made up of both Guernsey Water staff and contractors from Geomarine, have resulted in this phase being completed on budget and ahead of time."

He said that during the road closure, teams has also undertaken refurbishment and replacement of a number of "problematic foul water manholes", which she said had saved "further disruption through additional closures".

Guernsey water said the ring main project was being carried out over the next five to seven years.

It said it was to future proof the water supplies for northern parishes and to serve the island until 2100. It is expected to cost about £11m.

Mr Falla said: "We're acting now to prevent problems in the future - a responsible course of action that is far less costly than fixing problems as and when they happen.

"A failure of the current ring main would leave thousands without water."