Ramsgate Road in Margate will be shut in both directions between Salmestone Road and St Augustine’s Avenue from 8pm tonight (March 27) due to gas leaks.
Gas company SGN has been working in Ramsgate Road between the entrance of the QEQM Hospital and its junction with Salmestone Road since January 16 to upgrade the network as part of a 30-year programme replacing old metal pipes with new plastic pipe.
The work had been estimated to finish by March 10 by SGN said engineering difficulties resulted in slower than expected progress and a mid-April end date was estimated. Then the gas firm said a further lot of work meant a three week closure both ways on Ramsgate Road between Salmestone Road and St Augustine’s Avenue from April 15, meaning works will go on into May.
Emergency closure
Now a closure in both directions will go in place tonight because of gas leaks and is expected to remain for three weeks.
SGN spokesman Dan Brown said: “We need to close A254 Ramsgate Road to motorists in both directions from 8pm this evening after further leaks were discovered on our network, near to where our engineers have been working to upgrade our old pipes.
“We’ve liaised closely with Kent Highways on the need for this emergency road closure to ensure everyone’s continued safety while we investigate the source of the leaks.
“A section of A254 Ramsgate Road has been shut to northbound motorists while we’ve been replacing our old metal mains, but we now need to close the road in both directions between its junctions with Salmestone Road and St Augustine’s Avenue. A signed diversion is in place for affected road users.
“This closure is expected to last approximately three weeks. We’re working as quickly and safely as possible to complete this essential work.
“We understand roadworks can be frustrating for residents and motorists. We’d like to thank the Margate community for your continued patience while we work to ensure everyone stays safe and warm.”
Yes it’s a gas leak ,got to be done ,these repairs are worthy of a Aldwich farce, all it needs now is St Peter’s road to close and total gridlock,
Don’t worry. With sea level rise due to climate change it’ll all be under water anyway.
You’re either a green zealot, or your having a laugh, bet in 50 years time that road is not under water,with 1000s of people needing rehousing due to climate change ,
Climate change is certainly happening, and the situation is getting more serious every year.
Maybe true but the sea level to rise 50/60 feet,flooding the area from sea front to qeqm,some dream that,don’t listen to the zealots to much ,If you can remember in the 1990s half the planet would be underwater,millions would die ,according to the scientists,and don’t start me on the figures quoted for covid deaths in uk,and the figures about death from bird flu,about 20 years ago fantastic numbers
Climate change has been there for millions of years – We measure it for 50 years and it all our fault? On the plus side it gives the Eco-warriors something to sing & dance about – I see someone charging an electric car the other day with a petrol electric generator, that’s just how silly it all gets.
What an absolute joke! Months of misery already and now totally closed for 3 weeks which means all over the Easter Holidays. Well done SGN and KCC. Unbelievable farce!
Reply to “Ray the bread”. Do you think covid is just a heavy cold then? I’d rather be aware of the facts than be ignorant of them, no matter how unpleasant they are.
It appears that SGN choose not to put more men on the job but prefer to save money at the public’s expense. It is obvious -to some- by replacing old gas mains with new plastic more pressure is placed on older pipework. Will SGN be fined for overrunning the timescale of the project.
Of course logic would suggest that in reality , if the gas network isn’t pressurised any more than it already is there is no difference, change of pipe material isn’t going to alter pressure.
Under government legislation , councils have NO vetoes to stop utilities companies digging up kcc roads. All they can do is to limit the time. As in this case as there has been a overrun i have instructed officers to check if it is possible that s g n should incur a fine.
👌
If they do incur a fine, who would be the beneficiaries of it ? Or will it just macouruly just ‘ disappear ‘ ??? I’m sure the residents would like to know this, with a legally binding document.
No fine now, since they just declare an emergency situation to carry on as they were with half a dozen workers, and no penalty under emergencies ! It’s a cop out.
You haven’t instructed anyone, you simply sent an email and asked for it to be investigated.
Stop getting too big for your boots.
What rubbish!
If there was an actual leak there the road would have been shut immediately.
I wonder who hit the gas pipe, if is this just another excuse to prolong the time scale.
A public relations gas leak – gaslighting!
Precisely Clare.
I bet if the council put camera-equipped drones up over all the cordoned off SGN holes in Thanet we’d see nothing but hole.
I’m quite sure that if the council were to one ain such evidence, a court would grant an injunction against SGN’s continuing vexacious behaviour.
Do it TDC! For the benefit of the people & businesses of Thanet.😉
Are they really working as fast as they can? If 3 to 5 workers going daily but not nights and weekends is as fast as they can then they need to look at how they work in Europe then change their minds about fast!
Has KCC asked them to hurry up and get it finished and is that why they have applied for this emergency closure now, so no fines? Really makes you wonder about privatised companies.
There should be three gangs of workers covering 24 hours to get the job done and the road open.
There is no point in a fine as this will merely be recouped by a further rise in gas prices.
No matter how many gangs of workers, working Al the hours that God gave, will make any difference if there is an unseen problem that requires the specialist, one-off manufacture of components.
Then people will whine that they can’t sleep with the noise
There are no logistics in place. If you watch how there work . Sgn and IGS couldnt organise a piss up in a brewery. They are causing unnecessary road diversions and disruptions
Should be one way from College Rd to St Peters and from Nash Lane Westwood to Coffin Corner
They are Not working on this at all I live opposite the site. We see them (all 3 of them) sleeping in their vans all day and when they are not snoozing they are drinking coffee then back to snoozing in the vans again. This whole thing is a con. No other place would they be allowed to get away with this farce except thanet because locals do nothing about it.
Unfortunately, the “Highway” comes under KCC.
It’s why the footpaths haven’t also been shut due to the fake “gas leak” ‘Cos they come under TDC.
Anyone, anywhere know anyone in the vicinity who’s had their gas supply turned off since Christmas in order to connect them to the fictitious new “gas main”?
Hello everyone this is a response I got from SGN today regarding the closure .
Thank you for your email in regards to the gas main replacement works at Ramsgate Road, Margate. I can only apologise for the inconvenience this has caused you.
The works started in January as planned gas mains replacement under an approved Lane Closure. However, since works started substantial changes have occurred to the original scope of works mainly due to the poor condition of the existing cast iron main we are here to replace. These issues faced although were suspected, are actually far worse than expected. The deterioration of the existing gas main has caused numerous leaks and engineering challenges, resulting in additional works and alternative engineering methods to replace the existing gas main and services.
As I’m sure you are aware, due to the proximity of QEQM hospital and the importance of Ramsgate Road to both commuter and residents, any decision whether it be lane closure, duration extensions or now a full closure has not been taken lightly. All have come with numerous conferences with local busses, emergency services, schools, local councils and even extending to local MPs. The decisions have been agreed based on the importance of replacing this “at risk” asset. Due to the substantial number of gas leaks and severity of the potential outcome should they be left unattended, it has been agreed under an emergency to now fully close the road. This is in the interest of the residents and local community.
Despite your opinions of workmen doing only reduced hours, I can confirm we have three engineering teams onsite working 7am to 7pm Monday – Saturday and on some occasions Sundays too. The operatives are entitled to breaks throughout the working day so seeing them resting on occasions is of no surprise. The now planned completion date of these works is Friday 14th April, however we will endeavour to be engineering complete by this weekend. Reinstatement works will follow next week, hopefully being able to re-open the road to the public before the easter weekend.
The works are deemed essential and now fall under the emergency category, so unfortunately there wont be any compensation to local residents. We are currently preventing the potential of a substantial gas leak which could have far greater implications. KCC are fully understanding of these essential works hence why they are working with us to ensure works are completed safely.
Should you have any further concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
I have also attached the road closure and diversion route which may be of interest.
Kind regards,
image003.pngTom Humphreys |
“I no longer listen to what people say, but watch what they do.
Behaviour never lies.”
Winston Churchill
The gullible always have trouble coming to terms with their psychological weak spot.
Who believes a word of what a Scotia/Southern Gas Networks employee has written?
Jim Goodwin’s “signage” observation speaks volumes too.
Margaret : Have you kept a log of the days and times, taken photographs, and reported the matter to SGN and KCC ?
In the event of a fine being levied to SGN for the overrun, who will receive the money? KCC or TDC? If it’s KCC will there be pledges to spend the money in Thanet? If it’s TDC will they use the money to offset the massive losses at the Port thereby disappearing into their financial ether.
What a farce. It took nearly a week to dig the 1st hole, contractors working 10 till 4 no weekends. a few hours notice, for an emergency road closure, when it was obvious(to even the untrained bystander) that they had to get gas supply to the houses the other side of the huge hole, getting tighter to get through the gap, with out hitting the bollards. Now we have a 10 day full road closure, leading up to Easter, so Gridlock in Thanet, Well done SGN, and KCC Highways, all in all a cock up of epic scale. Hopefully they will add extra contractors, rather that the 3 men and a Digger, who when I go past are normally just having a tea break, or peering into the huge hole.
It’s very hard work ,looking into a hole, and drinking tea ,even harder ,sleeping in a, vehicle cab, with all those noisy pesky ,pedestrians walking by ,anyway have to go, got and get another cup of tea, cheers everyone
Another gas leak how convenient.
Maybe if the workman actually did some work instead of standing round doing nothing and also do a days work not a max of 3hrs a day this would have been finished .
Nearly half a year is a disgrace.
I think when it stops raining and the wind calms I’ll walk up and down the road with a naked flame. Just to find out how much truth there is in the SGN propaganda. If there are gas leaks, I will find them!😉
Seems strange that the emergency included metal signage for side roads etc. Which must have been done in advance. Some crisis!!!
What an extraordinary idea!
SGN pre-planned an unnecessary set of road works, down to the level of having signage created, just to provide an opportunity for Jim Goodwin to make an absurd comment!
How many houses have had a fall in gas pressure or has supply stopped ,if there was/is a gas leak, anyone know
People will whine if you close the road to replace gas mains that where laid with the advent of old Town gas so before ww2 and early 50s they put a temporary fix in the early 70s because of the dry north sea gas by bagging the joints, that ment digging a square hole in the road every length of pipe 15-20 foot, you talk about work it went on gor years in thane all by hand with jackhammer,most people won’t remember the drama that caused to Segas as it was good work for the Irish from AE Bartholomew and William Press, then people whine when the gas main blow up, you know what it’s like when you buy an old house to renovate the more you strip away it uncovers more problems same thing with inferstuture.
Suck it up buttercups.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/03/30/households-face-net-zero-penalty-gas-bills/#:~:text=Households%20are%20to%20be%20penalised,the%20end%20of%20fossil%20fuels
At least one member of the SGN board is a member of boards of oil & nuclear power companies. At least one of which has a mission to “decarbonise” north & northeast Scotland… where the gas comes ashore.
Wake up!