RADAR technology has been used to scan every inch of asphalt involved in eight weeks of road works caused by the need to replace century-old gas pipes in Shipley.

And the engineer overseeing the £180,000 project has pledged every effort has been made to ensure both safety, and the quickest end to inevitable traffic jams.

Ian Cunningham, construction services area manager for Northern Gas Networks, said painstaking care was being used to replace 300 metres of 40cm diameter gas pipes.

"We've planned this since February and before any work started we scanned all the roads with ground-penetrating radar, as not all the utilities cables are shown on plans," Mr Cunningham said.

"It's the latest technology and uses a scanning plate on a buggy which is slowly pushed over the whole area.

"Obviously there are health and safety issues for the workforce and we don't want someone putting a spade into a 11,000 volt cable.

"Using radar we found there is a bank of 23 high voltage cables right in the middle of the Dockfield Road and Otley Road junction.

"Safety is paramount, but we have also found communications cables for the many businesses around here and obviously want to avoid those.

"All cabling has been precisely marked on the tarmac.

"And we will only use a mechanical digger to a certain point at the end of Dockfield Road, and then everything will be carefully dug by hand.

"We are working with gas pipes and replacing steel mains that are 104 years old - so this is not a rush job."

Last year similar work coincided with development of the new KFC and Wickes sites, adding to drivers' woes.

"We've learned from previous issues and we've spent a lot of time preparing for this job, including door-knocking every business and resident within a 600 metre radius and giving out numbers for our personal care team," said Mr Cunningham, of Bradford, who joined NGN as an apprentice 35 years ago.

The first phase of work along Dockfield Road from the railway bridge to the junction with Otley Road began on Monday and is due to last two to three weeks.

"All of that is being done overnight from 8pm to 6am, with all our traffic control lights removed by the morning and the trenches covered by plates," Mr Cunningham said.

"After we enter Otley Road to head up to Fox Corner, then we will have to close a lane of traffic for everyone's safety but then we will be working 18 hour days, seven days a week to get the work done as quickly as possible.

"Gas pipe replacement is not an easy job, but it is one we're good at."

Councillor Debbie Davies, (Con, Baildon) said it looked as if commuters might suffer less delays than during other roadworks.

"Last year one lane was closed for the whole time and NGN has made an effort in consulting and informing people.

"It's good that it's during the school holidays - let's just hope the job doesn't over run," she said.