£5m overhaul of electricity cable network

MILLIONS of pounds will be spent installing new underground electricity cables to stop Cambridge's power network being stretched to breaking point.

Electricity supplier EDF Energy will spend £5 million on the project, which it says will boost the city's power supply for years to come - but it will also mean short-term disruption as scores of roads are dug up to lay the new cables.

Work will include excavating along King's Hedges Road, Green End Road, Water Lane, Riverside, Abbey Road, Occupation Road, New Street, York Street, Sleaford Street, Midsummer Common, Jesus Green, St John's Road and Thompson's Lane.

About 15 kiles of new underground electricity cables along a 4.5-mile route will be installed in Cambridge city centre over the next year.

The move comes after EDF Energy was given the go-ahead to install a new substation in the King's Hedges area of Cambridge.

The firm says the new substation is needed to deal with predicted demand, and the new underground network will connect the substation to other smaller substations across the city.

The company says it has worked with the city council to minimise disruption in the area as much as possible.

Engineers will work with small sections of trench open at a time which they can backfill quickly to minimise the impact.

Drilling has already taken place at the more difficult sites along the route, including under the River Cam, Victoria Avenue and Elizabeth Way.

Barry Hatton, EDF Energy Networks' director of capital programmes, said:

"We have a major programme of work under way in the Cambridge area to ensure we can deliver the power to meet the growing needs of the city and surrounding area for years to come.

"There are many complex parts to the project and this particular stage, which involves excavating in the city centre, is clearly a sensitive element which we are managing carefully with the local authority.

"We will do all we can to complete this work with as little disruption as possible although we do appreciate that any project of this scale will inevitably impact on day-to-day life in the area."