An exhibition was held at Springwater Park on Saturday with details of a major pipeline scheme soon to start in Bury.

The West East Link Main is a 55km water pipeline being laid by United Utilities between Liverpool and Bury. It is one of the biggest projects ever undertaken by the water company, costing £125 million. More than 50 residents dropped in at the company's mobile visitor centre at the weekend to look at plans and chat to engineers about the project.

Around 9.5km of the pipeline will pass through the Bury area, starting near the A667 at Outwood. The route then crosses under Ringley Road West, through Stand Golf Club, under the Metrolink and Radcliffe New Road and through Springwater Park. From here the pipe will pass under the River Roch and Manchester Road, through Bury Golf Club, under the M66 and through Fairfield up to Woodgate Hill service reservoir.

Some people were already aware that work had been taking place at Springwater Park, but were not so sure what it was for. The park was the site of an old bleach works and engineers have had to employ archaeologists to check for any historical finds before laying the pipe. This has revealed evidence of contaminated land, so the archaeological survey has been stopped and the site will have to remain fenced off.

Jon Higham, United Utilities project manager, explained: "Following the preliminary survey work in Springwater Park, we had hoped to reopen some of that area to the public until later next year when the pipe will be laid. Unfortunately, due to the presence of contaminated land, we'll have to keep it fenced off as a precaution. We're really sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, but this is the advice we've been given to protect the public."

Hollinhurst Road is one of the few places where the pipeline will have to be laid in the road and many of the visitors were local residents. Two houses at the end of Hollinhurst Road, numbers 1a and 3a, have already been purchased by the water company because they will need to be demolished to allow tunnelling work to take place under the Metrolink line and Radcliffe Old Road. The demolition process will take place in September over the course of two weeks.

From mid-September United Utilities will start to prepare Hollinhurst Road for the pipeline. The road will be closed to through traffic until Christmas but access will be maintained for residents. First a sewer will be moved from the centre to the side of the carriageway, which will take around four weeks. Then from mid-October the pipeline itself will be laid up the road.

The next phase of work, in December, will involve sinking a deep shaft on the site of the demolished houses which will provide the access point to lower a tunnelling machine into position. The aim is to have Hollinhurst Road completely reopened before Christmas. The tunnel itself will be constructed during January and February, and at 270m it will be one of the longest in the project, linking Hollinhurst Road with Springwater Park.

Jon Higham added: "We were pleased that so many people took the time to come and see what our plans involve. We're very conscious of the impact our work will have on people in the Hollinhurst Road area and we were keen to explain to them what to expect. I think for the most part people understand that this is essential work and any short term disruption with be worth it in the long run."

United Utilities is working with environmental charity Groundwork to identify a community project to leave as a lasting legacy after the pipeline is finished. Groundwork will start to consult with Bury councillors and residents next month and their input will form a vital starting point for the plans.

The pipeline is part of United Utilities' long-term plan to keep reliable water supplies on tap for the 7 million residents in the North West. The engineering challenges are big but the project is vital to give more flexibility in the future during times of drought or to allow maintenance on other major pipelines in the region.