TRADERS, medical staff and motorists are bracing themselves for months of disruption as National Grid is preparing to dig up 300 of the borough's streets.

The company needs to replace the area’s old iron gas mains, and a council order will prevent motorists from using any of the roads while work is going on.

The multi-million pound excavation work is due to start on Tuesday, and could take as long as 18 months to complete.

Traders in Forest Road, Walthamstow, fear the work will have a damaging effect on their business at a time when many are struggling because of the economic downturn.

Laura Goodman, 24, manager of Beauty Avenue, said: "It’s going to be pretty hectic around here – it is a main road we are sitting on here, so if they are digging it up, it is not going to be fantastic for our clients.

“It may mess up a lot of people - they won’t get buses if they can't park.”

Denise Howe, 42, manager of Coggers Florists, also in Forest Road, said: “It will affect our trade, they may decide to go somewhere else.”

As well as traders, medical workers fear patients may struggle to get to doctors' surgeries, pharmacies and even to Whipps Cross Hospital.

GP Mohamed Dadabhoy, of the Microfaculty in Chingford Mount Road, said: “We only allocate 10 minutes between each patient, if they get delayed we will have lots of patients waiting and that is not on.”

Sameer Patel, owner of Leyton Green Pharmacy, said: “It could affect people getting to the pharmacy and we deliver medication as well.

“It will probably also have an affect on people getting to the hospital, they need to work out a way to have traffic on one side of the road and not the other, but there will be a backlog of traffic.”

All iron mains within 30 metres of buildings will be replaced by new plastic pipes, intended to last for 80 years if they are left undisturbed.

Works will not be carried out simultaneously but streets to be affected include some of Waltham Forest’s main thoroughfares such as Lea Bridge Road and Forest Road.

The first streets to excavated are Hale End Road, Hooker’s Road, Farnan Avenue, Garner Road and Melville Road, Walthamstow and Marmion Avenue, Forest Glade, Alma Avenue, Templeton Avenue, Nelson Road and Hall Lane, Chingford.

A National Grid spokesman said: “National Grid endeavours to keep any disruption or inconvenience to a minimum.

“To minimise disruption where possible, we use technologies which reduce the need for large-scale excavations.

“We are also committed to keeping residents, businesses and motorists informed about this vital work.”

Some mains replacement work has already been carried out, leaving residents in Melbourne Road, Leytonstone without gas during cold weather in February.

Works are to be carried out by the North London Gas Alliance, a partnership between National Grid and Skanska.

See below for a full list of streets and the timings of the works.

Street Name Start Finish GUILDSWAY 04-Jan-10 19-Feb-10 LYNE CRESCENT 08-Feb-10 05-Mar-10 SHAW SQUARE 22-Feb-10 26-Mar-10 HALE END ROAD 27-Apr-09 28-Aug-09 CASTLETON ROAD 20-Jul-09 04-Aug-09 THORPE HALL ROAD 06-Jul-09 20-Jul-09 WOODSTOCK ROAD 03-Aug-09 18-Aug-09 GUILDFORD ROAD 17-Aug-09 09-Oct-09 FOREST ROAD 28-Sep-09 29-Jan-10 WIGRAM SQUARE 18-Jan-10 12-Feb-10 CHERRYDOWN AVENUE 05-Oct-09 09-Feb-10 CHERRYDOWN CLOSE 12-Jan-10 09-Feb-10 EATONS MEAD 26-Jan-10 06-Apr-10 HURST AVENUE 23-Mar-10 07-Apr-10 LANSDOWNE ROAD 05-Oct-09 02-Nov-09 LEADALE AVENUE 19-Oct-09 30-Nov-09 MARMION APPROACH 16-Nov-09 14-Dec-09 MARMION AVENUE 30-Nov-09 08-Mar-10 MARMION CLOSE 22-Feb-10 09-Apr-10 MIDDLETON AVENUE 05-Oct-09 25-Dec-09 MIDDLETON CLOSE 07-Dec-09 22-Dec-09 OLD CHURCH ROAD 14-Dec-09 15-Jan-10 PRIORY AVENUE 05-Oct-09 18-Dec-09 PRIORY CLOSE 30-Nov-09 14-Dec-09 RAMPTON CLOSE 07-Dec-09 01-Jan-10 RECTORY CLOSE 21-Dec-09 22-Jan-10 WALTHAM WAY 11-Jan-10 02-Apr-10 WELLINGTON ROAD 14-Apr-09 02-Jun-09 MELBOURNE ROAD 19-May-09 07-Jul-09 CANNING ROAD 23-Jun-09 28-Jul-09 WARNER ROAD 14-Jul-09 10-Nov-09 NEWPORT ROAD 27-Oct-09 24-Nov-09 ORCHARD STREET 10-Nov-09 08-Dec-09 STONEYDOWN HOUSE 24-Nov-09 29-Dec-09 CHATHAM ROAD 15-Dec-09 09-Mar-10 BUNYAN ROAD 15-Dec-09 09-Mar-10 ROMA ROAD 15-Dec-09 09-Mar-10 PASQUIER ROAD 15-Dec-09 09-Mar-10 RENNESS ROAD 15-Dec-09 09-Mar-10 ST. ANDREWS ROAD 14-Apr-09 20-Jul-09 HILLYFIELD 30-Jun-09 15-Jul-09 LOWTHER ROAD 23-Jun-09 08-Jul-09 BRAMLEY CLOSE 07-Jul-09 19-Aug-09 OAKFIELD ROAD 05-Aug-09 16-Sep-09 CHURCH ROAD 02-Sep-09 28-Sep-09 SUTHERLAND ROAD 14-Sep-09 09-Nov-09 BLACKHORSE ROAD 26-Oct-09 23-Nov-09 PRIESTLEY WAY 09-Nov-09 25-Jan-10 CLARENCE ROAD 11-Jan-10 01-Feb-10 CORNWALLIS ROAD 18-Jan-10 08-Feb-10 BLACKHORSE LANE 25-Jan-10 15-Feb-10 GLOUCESTER ROAD 01-Feb-10 22-Feb-10 HOOKERS ROAD 08-Feb-10 08-Mar-10 NICHOLSON COURT 22-Feb-10 22-Mar-10 OATLAND RISE 08-Mar-10 05-Apr-10 PRETORIA AVENUE 22-Mar-10 12-Apr-10 STIRLING ROAD PATH 29-Mar-10 26-Apr-10 LARKSHALL ROAD 01-May-09 03-Sep-09 COOLGARDIE AVENUE 21-Aug-09 24-Dec-09 HICKMAN AVENUE 11-Dec-09 07-Jan-10 JUBILEE AVENUE 25-Dec-09 28-Jan-10 VILLAGE CLOSE 15-Jan-10 19-Feb-10 AVRIL WAY 01-Feb-10 19-Mar-10 GREENWOOD DRIVE 08-Mar-10 31-Mar-10 HANDSWORTH AVENUE 01-Apr-09 23-Jun-09 CHURCH AVENUE 10-Jun-09 14-Jul-09 FALMOUTH AVENUE 01-Jul-09 10-Nov-09 CASTLE AVENUE 28-Oct-09 02-Feb-10 FOREST GLADE 20-Jan-10 30-Mar-10 SUNNYDENE AVENUE 07-Dec-09 12-Feb-10 CLIVEDON ROAD 01-Feb-10 26-Mar-10 ABBOTTS CRESCENT 04-Jan-10 22-Jan-10 BETOYNE AVENUE 11-Jan-10 25-Jan-10 EAST VIEW 11-Jan-10 08-Feb-10 HALE END ROAD 25-Jan-10 15-Feb-10 HARMAN CLOSE 01-Feb-10 22-Feb-10 SHELDON HOUSE 08-Feb-10 01-Mar-10 THE BROADWAY 15-Feb-10 08-Mar-10 SHEREDAN ROAD 01-Oct-09 25-Nov-09 THE AVENUE 12-Nov-09 17-Feb-10 NIGHTINGALE AVENUE 04-Feb-10 31-Mar-10 RICHMOND AVENUE 26-Jun-09 21-Aug-09 RICHMOND CRESCENT 26-Jun-09 04-Sep-09 AUBREY ROAD 03-Aug-09 25-Sep-09 AVELING PARK ROAD 14-Sep-09 06-Nov-09 BEDFORD ROAD 19-Oct-09 02-Nov-09 CHANDOS AVENUE 04-Jan-10 08-Feb-10 CHINGFORD ROAD 25-Jan-10 15-Feb-10 DUDLEY ROAD 01-Feb-10 01-Mar-10 FARNAN AVENUE 15-Feb-10 09-Apr-10 FOREST ROAD 01-Feb-10 19-Feb-10 GAYWOOD ROAD 08-Feb-10 02-Apr-10 HAWTHORNE ROAD 05-Oct-09 06-Nov-09 HOE STREET 23-Oct-09 29-Jan-10 HOWARD ROAD 08-Jan-10 29-Jan-10 KENILWORTH AVENUE 15-Jan-10 12-Mar-10 MILTON ROAD 19-Feb-10 12-Mar-10 TOWER HAMLETS ROAD 26-Feb-10 15-Mar-10 WINNS TERRACE 01-Mar-10 22-Mar-10 GARNER ROAD 14-Apr-09 22-Jun-09 QUEENSWOOD AVENUE 09-Jun-09 06-Jul-09 BROOKSCROFT ROAD 23-Jun-09 27-Jul-09 STURGE AVENUE 14-Jul-09 10-Aug-09 WADHAM ROAD 28-Jul-09 21-Sep-09 KITCHENER ROAD 18-Aug-09 07-Sep-09 WADHAM AVENUE 25-Aug-09 10-Sep-09 WINCHESTER ROAD 27-Aug-09 10-Sep-09 EVANSTON AVE 27-Aug-09 10-Sep-09 CHINGFORD ROAD 04-Jan-10 26-Feb-10 NEW ROAD 27-Apr-09 30-Oct-09 TEMPLETON AVENUE 19-Oct-09 08-Mar-10 WOODVIEW AVENUE 22-Feb-10 07-Apr-10 BROOK CRESCENT 17-Mar-10 02-Apr-10 CHIVERS ROAD CHINGFORD 19-Mar-10 06-Apr-10 GROVE ROAD 23-Mar-10 08-Apr-10 LARKSHALL ROAD 25-Mar-10 22-Apr-10 ROLLS PARK AVENUE 08-Apr-10 26-Apr-10 ST JOHNS ROAD 12-Apr-10 28-Apr-10 THE LAWNS 14-Apr-10 30-Apr-10 UNDERWOOD ROAD 04-May-09 16-Oct-09 LYNTON ROAD 15-Jun-09 25-Sep-09 AINSLIE WOOD ROAD 06-Jul-09 24-Jul-09 PALACE VIEW ROAD 27-Jul-09 28-Aug-09 BOURNE GARDENS 05-Oct-09 27-Nov-09 LARKSWOOD ROAD 16-Nov-09 15-Jan-10 CHINGFORD MOUNT ROAD 04-Jan-10 12-Mar-10 FRANCES ROAD 01-Mar-10 09-Apr-10 FIELD CLOSE 29-Mar-10 30-Apr-10 EDWARD AVENUE 19-Apr-10 12-May-10 LOXHAM ROAD 09-Apr-09 03-Jun-09 ASCHAM DRIVE 21-May-09 22-Jun-09 RUSHCROFT ROAD 08-Jun-09 06-Jul-09 GROVE PARK AVENUE 22-Jun-09 27-Jul-09 CHINGFORD ROAD 13-Jul-09 10-Aug-09 ROWDEN ROAD 27-Jul-09 21-Sep-09 MINERVA ROAD 07-Sep-09 19-Oct-09 ROWDEN PARK GARDENS 05-Oct-09 30-Oct-09 NELSON ROAD 28-May-09 09-Sep-09 MARLBOROUGH ROAD 27-Aug-09 21-Oct-09 TUDOR ROAD 08-Oct-09 25-Nov-09 SALISBURY HALL GARDENS 12-Nov-09 06-Jan-10 COLERIDGE ROAD 30-Sep-09 10-Nov-09 ELMSDALE ROAD 28-Oct-09 01-Dec-09 FOREST ROAD 18-Nov-09 08-Apr-10 HATHERLEY ROAD 26-Feb-10 12-Mar-10 MANSFIELD ROAD 05-Oct-09 27-Nov-09 MELVILLE ROAD 13-Nov-09 08-Jan-10 NORTHCOTE ROAD 25-Dec-09 14-Jan-10 PALMERSTON ROAD 31-Dec-09 20-Jan-10 ROSEBANK GROVE 06-Jan-10 03-Feb-10 RUSSELL ROAD 20-Jan-10 24-Feb-10 SOMERS ROAD 10-Feb-10 24-Mar-10 WESTBURY ROAD 10-Mar-10 31-Mar-10