“We are doing these projects to enhance the safety and reliability of our system,” said Kristin Begg, the external affairs specialist with Columbia Gas of Ohio.
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This year’s projects will affect the Rose Street and Wilson Avenue area of Springfield, as well as the High and Mound streets area.
The first project will cost about $1.9 million and construction started in February.
The next project will cost about $1.5 million and work likely will start in May. Representatives from Columbia Gas held a meeting last week to discuss the process for the High and Mound streets construction.
“The first thing they are going to see in the neighborhood is the are going to us marking the utilities. They are going to see some stakes and some flags and that’s to mark where all the underground utilities are. That is the first sign we are going to be starting the project in their neighborhood,” Begg said.
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The company will contact residents to schedule a time to install new meters. Next a mainline will be installed underneath the sidewalk and the right of way, and then service lines will be replaced.
Customers will lose natural gas service for about two to three hours during that work. If a meter is located inside of a home, crews will move it outside and the service line will be connected. Then appliances will be relighted and customers will be reconnected.
Columbia Gas will restore any property that’s damaged during the system upgrade, Begg said.
The restoration has been a concern for Springfield leaders on earlier gas line replacement projects.
“My concern is somewhat relieved because they’ve gone back to some of the ones that I was concerned about and done them better,” Mayor Warren Copeland said.
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Residents have complained to Copeland in the past about bumps in the road left behind from the pipe replacement work.
Columbia Gas hired contractors to finish and repair the sidewalks and streets disturbed, he said.
“I understand the gas company itself is not doing the work, they’ve contracted with contractors but I think the contractors need to be more sensitive to the trouble they are creating,” Copeland said.
Copeland found during his own investigation that some were temporary patches and contractors came back and did a better job later.
The city needs the new pipes but he said he wishes the contractors would do a good job all the time.
Columbia Gas and its contractors follows all city codes during it is restoration process, Begg said.
The statewide project is in its 10th year and the utility company hopes to have the latest Springfield projects completed by the end of 2017.
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