The work will take place in stages on both sides of Broadway. Photo/ Alyssa Smith

A project to move and upgrade electrical equipment in central Stratford is under way.

The work will take place in stages on both sides of Broadway, between the Regan St-to- Fenton St roundabouts.

Powerco general manager of electricity Karen Frew says the company is working with the owners of 48 buildings on Broadway who have an electricity cable running up the side of their building to a fuse box above the veranda.

"For our crews to safely access the fuse boxes at the moment, we need to use mobile platforms such as a cherry picker, as we can no longer safely access them via the verandas."

The project includes replacing the low-voltage cables on the buildings with new cables, which will then be connected to existing fuse boxes on the footpath.

"Having the fuses and cable connection at ground level, rather than them being above the verandas on the second storey of the buildings, means our crews can respond to a fault quicker and in a safer way."

Work has started on the eastern side of Broadway and is expected to continue until about mid-November. Work on the western side of Broadway will begin in February and continue until about the end of March.

Planned power outages will be needed for the area at various times to allow the work to be carried out safely.

Customers' electricity retailers - the companies you pay your power bill to - provide advance notice of planned power outages affecting individual addresses. Powerworx, which is contracted to carry out the work on Powerco's behalf, will also contact individual businesses to let them know of upcoming planned outages.

For safety, vehicle and foot traffic management will be in place at times, including the footpath outside buildings.

"I want to personally thank our customers and businesses on the work route and the wider central Taranaki community for their patience and understanding while these essential works are carried out," Karen says.

To help the community stay informed, Powerco has set up a dedicated webpage powerco.co.nz/stratford, which will be kept up to date as information becomes available.