Ticket Comment

Hello,

This work that has been done on East Main and surrounding areas is by Columbia Gas and their contractor Northern Pipeline, and their subcontractors.  

NPL and Columbia Gas have to spend extended periods of time in each area in order to tie in every customer, without shutting off service for long durations. The excavation must be made for the new gas pipe all at once. After completing the excavation the pipe is placed and then filled back in so that traffic can move over it. Once the new line is in Columbia Gas must then connect the new line into the gas system. After connecting to the gas system Columbia has to go to each house individually and connect them to the new line. To do this they must dig up the road again and make the connections. Finally, once all the connections are made Columbia has to come back another time to remove old piping no longer in use. This is the reason that they seemingly have to keep coming back and working in the same area. This is all done in an effort to minimize the amount of time that gas is shut to customers.

This is not a City project and because Columbia Gas is a regulated public utility, we must permit work on City Streets.  State Highway Administration oversees the work on Main Street.  Your complaint, along with others, has been forwarded to Columbia Gas.