A new web site has been launched with details about the major new water pipeline being laid through the heart of the North West.

United Utilites has set up the site so that people can find out more about the 55km long West East Link Main which is being laid between Liverpool and Bury.

Project manager Jon Higham explained: "We started preparing the way for the pipeline earlier this summer, and people have already noticed where we have stripped the topsoil and removed sections of hedge and wall at certain road crossings. We have also started to lay out sections of the pipe through the fields in readiness for putting them in the ground.

"It's really starting to generate a lot of interest so we wanted to make it easy for people to get up close and personal to the project."

The website includes an aerial video showing a fly-through of the pipeline route and computer visualisations of how the pipe will be tunnelled under major structures like motorways and the West Coast mainline.

There will also be regular updates and photographs on how the project is progressing, with information about traffic and construction for local residents.

Jon added: "We're also considering using a small head-mounted camera so that people can see an engineer's eye view of some of the more interesting features along the pipeline route."

The £125 million pipeline is one of the biggest projects ever undertaken by United Utilities. It is being built to keep water on tap for the 7 million residents across the North West, allowing greater flexibility during times of drought or when other major pipelines need to be shut down for maintenance. Work started earlier this summer and will be complete by April 2011.

Visit http://welm.unitedutilities.com/index.htm for more details.