From what I know, Bruce, you're kinda on the right track.I don't think the Victorian mains have been scheduled for wholesale replacement. A dream yes, a plan no. Thames Water and whomever seem to be repairing/replacing as and when. It was about three years ago (maybe even four) when the main burst just outside the Premier Inn on King Street. Businesses were closed down and some were simply put out of business. It took a year or so to get things restored. Instead of dealing with it comprehensively, this will be the pattern.Add to that, the gas mains were replaced as well. But that was a separate excavation and headache.Here's a thought: two utilities running under the pavement are in dire need of replacing. New transit technologies have evolved with regard to traffic management as well as charging points for electric vehicles. Telecommunications have evolved. Then there is a drainage issue for the cycle lane which can easily be solved with a simple slot drain at the base of the curb - like the ones high-end showers have running against the wall so you don't step in it. Regrade the whole damn thing so everything drains as it should. So bundle all of those projects up, add an empty conduit to run through anything that might crop up in the future, dig up once, install all of it in one go, then move on. To my mind, this is what a smart motor way would be. Not those crappy death traps like the M4 which continues to be built despite the initiative having been cancelled.
David Lesniak ● 2085d