Construction of new £155M, 57km water mains through north east gathers pace

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Working on behalf of Northumbrian Water, contractor Farrans started constructing the Project Pipeline: County Durham and Tees Valley, in November last year.

The project will see new water mains laid from Lartington to Gainford, and across to Shildon and Long Newton

For the next stage of the major project, a section of the B6278 in Barnard Castle will need to be temporarily closed during the Easter holidays to allow a pipe to be laid across the road as part of the overall pipeline.

Phase 1 of the project, which will connect Lartington Water Treatment Works in Upper Teesdale with the town of Gainford and across to Shildon, County Durham, is currently under construction.

The project will see the replacement of sections of the network that have served the area for more than 100 years, alongside new stretches of pipeline.

A second phase is currently being planned, with work scheduled to start in 2025, further connecting the pipeline on to Teesside at Long Newton.

The route of the pipeline will cross the River Tees. Farrans is constructing a tunnel to carry the pipe 12m below the river bed, close to the villages of Lartington and Cotherstone in Teesdale.

The planned route of the pipeline

Northumbrian Water water asset manager Phil Thornberry said: “This essential project will protect and enhance our water supply network for customers across large parts of County Durham and into the Tees Valley, and represents a huge investment in the area.

“We are working hard to minimise the disruption and impact of the construction of this major new pipeline. We are sorry for the impact this temporary closure will inevitably have, but are hoping that by scheduling it within the Easter holidays, we can minimise that as much as possible.

“We will do everything we can to make sure people who use the road are kept informed and updated. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our customers for their patience as this work continues.”

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