Water main upgrade needed as bursts increase, Manx Utilities say

Work to lay a new water main is expected to be finished in May

Six months of phased road closures have begun in a northern village to accommodate the replacement of a water main.

Manx Utilities (MU) said the £500,000 project on Kiondroghad Road in Andreas involves laying new pipework stretching around 2 miles (3.3km).

Installed in the 1940s, the current main had recently seen an increase in bursts, an MU spokeswoman said.

Work started on Monday and is expected to be completed in May 2024.

An MU spokeswoman said the replacement was needed for the firm to "meet our standard of service", and to allow residents along the route to "better enjoy a reliable water supply".

The project makes up part of the firm's strategic water mains refurbishment programme, which involves the replacement of over 7.7 miles (12.5km) of pipe each year to maintain current levels of service.

The new modern main would be laid using traditional "open cut" excavation to replace the old pipework, which the firm said had reached the end of its asset life.

Livestock trough supplies and connections to properties and businesses would be transferred as the main was laid, the firm's spokeswoman said.

Rolling road closures, from the A10 Coast Road at Lhen to the junction with the A17 at Andreas, would be in place for the duration of the project, she added.

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