We’re investing £400,000 to replace approximately 1.1km of existing water main in Cranbrook Road, Cranbrook, to reduce the likelihood of future problems and keep top quality drinking water flowing to the community.
Two sections of new main will be installed to replace an aging burst-prone pipe. The existing main has suffered 11 bursts in the last five years, which is unacceptable to us. The new sections will be laid between the property ‘The Gables’ and the junction of Cranbrook Road and Mockbeggar Lane.
Work began on Monday 31 October and is expected to take approximately 15 weeks to complete. Our workforce will work as quickly and as safely as possible to complete the project sooner. In order to minimise disruption, construction will be carried out in phases. When one section completes, the road will be returned to its original state before we move along to the next stage.
Due to the nature of the road and as a safety precaution for pedestrians, motorists and our team, we will need to close Cranbrook Road to through traffic only from the Tenterden Road end to the junction with Benenden Road. A diversion route, which has been agreed with Kent Highways, will be clearly signed for the duration of the work and can be seen below.
Work will be in two areas in the road and these are detailed below. Access to homes and businesses will be maintained throughout the project, although there may be a short wait at times if we are working directly outside your property entrance.
Diversion Route
Phase one
Work will begin outside the property ‘The Gables’ to the sharp bend east of Rogers Wood. This will take place from 31 October through to early December.
Phase two
Upon completion of phase one, work will move to the next section, between Rogley Hill and outside West Weald. This will run through to mid-February.
From early January until the end of the project, Mockbeggar Road will be a no through road on to Cranbrook Road.
FAQs
We do all we can to minimise disruption to motorists and the community when laying new water mains and always look to install pipes in locations which will cause the least disruption, such as grass verges and when in a road, as close to the verge as possible.
Due to the nature of the road and as a safety precaution for pedestrians, motorists and our workforce, we need to close Cranbrook Road to through traffic only from the Tenterden Road end to the junction with Benenden Road. Advanced warning signs will be in place along the road before it is closed, and a diversion route has been agreed with the local highways authority.
Work will take place during normal working hours, although there will also be some activities at weekends.
Access to properties and businesses will be maintained at all times, however there may be a short wait if we are working in front of your property.
As with all of our roadworks, we will always maintain access for emergency services.
The emergency services are briefed well in advance of any roadworks and are adept at making their own arrangements to find alternative routes. This is common practice.
As the work will require connections to the existing network, there will be a short interruption in supply. We will notify you well in advance when this is due to happen.
Customers with additional needs be it a disability, mental health or financial concerns can sign up to our Priority Services Register to help us understand how we can help you. More information can be found here.
This page will be updated as work progresses, but if you have any concerns during the work, the staff on site will be happy to answer any questions you may have. If you would like to speak to us direct, please call our Customer Technical Centre on 0333 000 1100 or email us at customerservices@southeastwater.co.uk
To register for free text or email updates about work in your area, visit inyourarea.digdat.co.uk/southeastwater(opens in a new tab)
Project Updates
Project starts
Wednesday, 8 February 2023
16:21 PM
Project nearing completion
We’re pleased to say that this project is now nearing completion. All pipework and services have been laid and we're currently returning the working area returned to its original state. Upon completion of this, we will leave the site.
Friday, 27 January 2023
08:56 AM
This week we’ve laid 148m of new main in the carriageway, using directional drilling techniques. To date, 1.07km of new water main has been laid. We need to undertake testing, customer service transfers and final connections to complete the scheme.
Monday, 12 December 2022
11:14 AM
We'll be making a new connection to the existing main overnight on Monday 12 December, and laying a further 520m of main this week, weather permitting.
Wednesday, 7 December 2022
15:48 PM
Break in work over Christmas
The connection to the existing network successfully took place overnight on 29 November. The work area has now been returned to its original state and we’re now preparing for the next phase of drilling.
There will be a short break in the works to avoid disruption during the festive period. Cranbrook Road will reopen from Thursday 22 December until Tuesday 3 January, when the closure will return and work will resume.
Monday, 28 November 2022
10:45 AM
The new section of main has been tested and is ready to be commissioned, and the road has been returned to its original state. We are planning to connect this new section of main to our existing network overnight on Tuesday 29 November. Noise disruption will be kept to an absolute minimum, but we are sorry for any disturbance this may cause. This work is having to be undertaken during the night to ensure supplies are kept maintained during the day to customers and businesses.
Monday, 21 November 2022
09:45 AM
We’ve laid 400m of new pipe to date, and have completed pressure testing on this section of main. We will continue to excavate to connect services to the new main.
Tuesday, 15 November 2022
13:36 PM
We've excavated pits to allow directional drilling for a 380m section of new main to be laid this week.
Road closures are a last resort as we know these can be disruptive and frustrating. For Cranbrook Road, a closure is required to protect the public and our workforce. We have placed a number of diversion and closure signs in the local area to inform road users of this and to limit any inconvenience. Unfortunately, we are seeing a number of signs and lights being stolen or relocated, as well as safety barriers around the construction site also being moved. This puts other road users and our workforce at considerable risk. If anyone sees anything in regards to this, please make us aware so we can rectify issues as soon as possible.
Monday, 31 October 2022
09:00 AM
Project begins
This £400,000 project is scheduled to begin on Monday, 31 October.
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