Gas works on Hills Road have halted and the road is now expected to re-open earlier than anticipated.
In June this year, Cadent Gas started major work to upgrade and replace1.4km of gas pipes along Station Road and Hills Road, in Cambridge.
Our streetworks team has been coordinating with Cadent and other utilities, including UK Power Solutions and Cambridge Water, to manage the traffic management arrangements needed for joint works in this area.
The work was paused during Remembrance Day, however, they have failed to return to the Hills Road site as agreed. This has caused complications for the other utility companies and delays have been experienced by the bus companies, residents, and businesses. As a result, our streetworks team has taken the decision to withdraw their permit and issued six fines.
UK Power Solutions and Cambridge Water will continue with their work, with the intention of reopening the road on Friday, 5 December.
Cllr Alex Beckett, chair of the Highways and Transport Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “Our streetworks team have been working tirelessly with the gas company, including monitoring their performance and setting clear expectations. Unfortunately, their contractor has had several breaches of conditions during these works and did not return as agreed. This added further complications and delays to resolving issues on what is already a very busy area.
“We’re taking firm action as we know how frustrated people get by roadworks and the disruption they cause on our communities and businesses. We will continue to work with the utility companies demanding better performance and planning work on our roads, and we’ll carry on exploring how we can do more to increase the standards expected and reduce unnecessary disruption across the county.
“One option we’re currently exploring is a ‘lane rental scheme’, which would allow us to charge companies for the time that roadworks occupy the highway – with higher charges for works on the busiest streets at the busiest times. We will be bringing further details on this in the new year.”
In 2024-25, Cambridgeshire County Council issued fines totalling £483,000 to utility companies and developers for non-compliant and over-running roadworks. In total, the council processed more than 32,000 street and roadwork permits last year, regulating when and how works can take place on the highway.
