Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) is to hold a community engagement event in relation to planned work being carried out in the Wokingham area.
Last year, the distribution network operator carried out a duct installation programme in the region as part of a multi-phased £3 million project to build greater resilience to the local electricity supply. Ongoing maintenance and works has identified a small section of underground cable in this area that SSEN want to replace to ensure the strength of the power supply and to help minimise the risk of possible power cuts.
Project Manager Yu Qian explains further: "During recent works, SSEN has identified an integrity issue on part of the cable and as it wants to ensure that these new cables are in the best condition and operate at their optimum efficiency it is crucial that this issue is located and repaired."
"Works have already been carried out to locate the exact area of the issue, which lies in a short section of the route between the motorway/railway bridges at Loddon Bridge Road and Wokingham Road, and as a result will have to set traffic management and diversion systems in place to carry out these essential works during the first two weeks of April."
A community meeting is being held on Thursday 15 March at the Oakwood Centre, Headley Road, Woodley, Berkshire, RG5 4JZ between 5pm and 7pm, where all are welcome to come along, meet the team behind the works and chat to them about any concerns they might have.
To ensure the safety of residents, commuters and SSEN engineers during these works, a temporary traffic management system with road closures will be in place from the junction of Coppice Road to the junction of the A329 Wokingham Road. Residents and businesses in the immediate vicinity of the traffic management system are being given full details through hand-delivered letters, with communities outside of the area having information posted to them.
SSEN wants to reassure its customers that throughout these works it will do everything possible to minimise noise and disruption while building a stronger electricity network for Wokingham Borough.