Gas works now expected to last until mid October

Wincolmlee is shut between the Air Street and Bankside Park junctions

Essential gas works in Hull are expected to last until mid October, Northern Gas Networks (NGN) has confirmed.

The work in Wincolmlee, near the River Hull, was due to be completed by the end of September.

In a statement, NGN said the work "has proved to be more challenging and complicated than we originally anticipated".

The road is shut between the Air Street and Bankside Park junctions, affecting numerous businesses.

NGN, the gas distributor for the North of England, is replacing ageing metal pipework with new, more durable plastic pipes.

The company said: "Our investigations found that a large area of metallic pipework required permanently replacing with a more durable plastic version, which will greatly reduce the risk of gas leaks in this location in the future."

Since April 2020, the city council said it had issued 17 road closure permits for the Wincolmlee area.

Businesses owners in the area have said the constant road closures could drive them out of business.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, businesses who have lost money may be eligible to claim compensation.

Chris Keith, NGN's operations manager, said: "We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused during these essential works. However, it's vital we complete them in order to continue to maintain a safe and reliable gas supply to local homes and businesses.

"This is a very complex project involving a number of stakeholders as well as specialist equipment, and our teams are working as hard as possible to complete the replacement and reopen the road as quickly as possible.

"Our teams are working as hard as possible to complete the replacement and reopen the road as quickly as possible."

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