RESIDENTS and workers in west Suffolk’s largest town were last night warned they could face up to 18 months of disruption as part of a “huge project” to replace gas mains.

Work on the mains replacement in Bury St Edmunds will start in little over two months’ time.

The project will last between one year and 18 months and is being carried out by National Grid.

The exact scale of the works and which areas will be affected remains unclear. National Grid will reveal further details once traffic management issues have been resolved with Suffolk County Council.

A spokeswoman for the firm said: “There is going to be major works in Bury.”

She said the company’s plans had changed on Tuesday after National Grid had “spotted an opportunity which could negate some of the impact” of the scheme.

However, some in the town have voiced their frustration with National Grid at the lack of information provided so far.

Mark Ereira, Suffolk County Council member for the Tower division, urged National Grid to share full details of the scheme as soon as possible, and said the council had been relentlessly seeking information for some time.

“It is a very major project. This is such a major digging up of the roads,” he said.

“It only came on to the council’s radar just before Christmas. The county council has really been trying to get National Grid’s work schedule.

“This could well cause traffic chaos within the town centre so we need to know what they are planning.”

A spokeswoman for St Edmundsbury Borough Council said: “It is a huge project to upgrade the gas mains being undertaken by the utility services.

“It is going to cause quite a lot of disruption. We have been involved early on so that we can warn people.”

Ruth Brady, manager of the Bury St Edmunds Chamber of Commerce, said she was unable to comment until they were told exactly what was planned.