Minister apologises as major route is set to be partially closed for weeks

Monday 30 October 2023

A three-week period of road closures on a main route in St Peter during November has been described as “essential” by the Infrastructure Minister, who has apologised to islanders for the disruption.

Work is set to start at Beaumont Hill this Sunday and last until 26 November as part of an upgrade to the sewage network.

The Minister, Deputy Tom Binet, said the project was aimed to achieve a separation of surface water – surplus rain running off roads and roofs – from foul water, which comes from sinks, bathrooms and other household or business sources.

Work will take place between 9am and 4pm on weekdays, as well as from 9am to 6pm on Sundays, with Saturdays and rush-hour periods left clear to minimise the impact.

Deputy Binet said: “I sincerely apologise for the disruption and inconvenience this is likely to cause and urge people to be as patient as they can because this is essential work that will be in everyone’s best interests.

"We have tried to minimise the impact as much as possible by scheduling the work in stages and ensuring the roads are open as normal during peak hours when people are commuting to and from work.

“Surface water in this area currently goes into the foul water drains along with sewage water – during heavy rainfall, the pumping station gets overwhelmed and there is a risk of flooding, which we need to do something about as soon as possible."

Pictured: Deputy Tom Binet

The initial stage of the work during November will see "trial holes" created on Beaumont Hill in order to confirm the position and depth of existing utilities and buried services.

During working hours, the northbound lane of Beaumont Hill will be closed from the Beaumont filter-in-turn junction to the cannon at the junction with Ruelle es Ruaux and Rue du Craslin.

The government has confirmed that officers are contacting businesses and residents in the area, with access to premises being maintained throughout the project.

Pictured top: while work is in progress, the northbound lane of Beaumont Hill will be closed from the filter-in-turn to the cannon at the junction of Rue du Craslin