work on a 40 kilometre pipeline which will pass through the Bolton area will create up to 400 jobs.

Contractors have made a start on a huge underground pipeline from Mawdesley to Warrington (see map) to meet the growing demand for gas in the North-west.

It will run through Blackrod, Westhoughton, Atherton and Leigh, in the process crossing two motorways, two rivers, two canals, five rail lines -- including the Wigan to Bolton and Wigan to Manchester tracks -- and 39 roads.

Workers on the huge project will be taken mainly from the surrounding areas, boosting employment on a short-term basis in an area badly hit by job losses over the past few years.

The design and construction of the 1050 millimetre diameter pipeline will be undertaken by a contractor, managed by Transco.

The company has a regional headquarters in Spa Road, Bolton.

Work will continue until October, 2000, before resuming for another six months from April 2001.

Transco, the firm which operates and maintains the national gas pipeline network, finalised the route in consultation with a wide number of organisations.

These include local authorities, the Environment Agency, English Nature and the Lancashire and Cheshire Wildlife Trusts.

A detailed environmental review document has been drawn-up to spell out the measures to be taken by the contractor in a bid to lessen the impact of the construction work on the landscape and ecology of the area.

Transco project manager Peter Johnson said: "This pipeline is part of a major national project.

"It will increase the capacity of the high pressure pipeline system across the country to meet the growth in demand for gas.

"There will be some disruption for people living along the route of the pipelines.

"Where we can, we will do everything within our power to keep this to a minimum."

The volume fof traffic will increase to allow workers, materials and equipment to reach various points along the route.

But Transco said it had deliberately avoided residential areas when planning the pipeline.

Work will take place between 7am and 7pm weekdays and 7am to 4pm on Saturday.

The pipeline will reinforce the national high pressure gas pipeline system, known as the National Transmission System, and will be operational by the autumn of 2001.

The picture above this story will provide some pictorial evidence of the massive channels which will be needed to accomodate the new pipeline.

The contractors will no doubt be anxious to complete as much of the project as possible before the October cut-off and the onset of inclement weather.