A £2.9million scheme to improve water supplies in the north of the island is to begin next month.

Manx Utilities is upgrading the water main from Sandygate to Jurby Coast Road.

The authority says it will ‘support economic growth’ for Jurby and give firefighters a better supply in an emergency.

The work is due to start on February 6 and end in August.

The project will include the installation of a new 2,400-metre long dedicated trunk main to Jurby and the construction of a new service reservoir with a booster pump system, currently subject to planning permission.

Connections will be left at strategic points for future development, and a further connection will be made to the existing main through Jurby Industrial Estate.

Due to the nature of the work, and width and depth of the excavation required, a road closure order will be in place.

However, Manx Utilities says the work will be carried out under a rolling road process which will allow the contractor to maintain access to all properties and business at all times; including pedestrian access.

About 500 properties, the prison and Jurby Industrial Estate will benefit from the new main and service reservoir, once completed.

The work will begin from the A13 Sandgate road working along the A14 Ballamenagh Road.

The new trunk main will be laid from Sandygate crossroads where connections will be made to the Clennagh Road main and cross connections to the Ballamoar and St Jude’s mains.

The design for the new trunk main was carried out by Manx Utilities’ engineers with support from local engineers Burrows Stewart Associates.

Mullen Consulting will provide an project supervisor, Silva Consulting are undertaking the role of project manager and quantity surveyor.

The new main will both be constructed from 180mm diameter high performance polyethylene.

The contractors will be using traditional ‘open cut’ excavation.

The contractor’s site office, material and fittings storage will be based at The Parade Ground in Jurby.