PARTS of Dovercourt town centre could grind to a halt in the new year, when a 13-week gas project starts.

Gas pipeline company National Grid is going to start work on January 5 to upgrade more than half-a-kilometre of gas mains in High Street, Waddesdon Road, and parts of Victoria Street and East Street.

The existing iron mains will be replaced with more modern plastic pipes during the £140,000 project.

Temporary traffic lights and junction closures will be enforced during phases of the work.

Colin Crawford, chairman of the Harwich Chamber of Trade and Commerce, said it has not been consulted over the disruption.

He said: “Obviously this sort of work has to be done. We would ask for alternative temporary parking spaces to be made available on existing yellow-lined areas, to replace the dozen or so spaces on the north side of the High Street, between Kingsway and Station Road.”

The first phase starts on January 5 and will see pipes replaced at the junction of Kingsway and High Street.

Temporary traffic lights will be in place and the work is due to end on February 9.

In phase two, the mains will be replaced in High Street, from Kingsway, to Station Road and Bay Road.

National Grid says it will aim to maintain two-way traffic flows during this phase.

During phase three, work will take place in the junction of High Street, Station Road and Bay Road.

Drivers will be unable to access Station Road or Bay Road from High Street.

Station Road traffic will be diverted via High Street, Kingsway and Station Road, while Bay Road traffic will be diverted via High Street, Kingsway, Marine Parade and Bay Road.

In the final phase, pipes will be replaced from Station Road and Bay Road to Barrack Lane.

Temporary traffic lights and a contraflow will be in place along this stretch of road while the works are under way.

In tandem with the High Street mains replacement, new pipes will be installed in Waddesdon Road, from January 19 to February 23, and in Victoria Street and East Street, from February 16 to March 9.

Construction engineer Ian Leeder said: “We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused by our works to local residents and motorists, and assure people that every effort will be made to keep this to a minimum.”