A pipeline modernization project along Grandview Avenue will continue for about another three to four weeks, a National Fuel Gas Co. spokeswoman said Friday.
The project, which began last week, will upgrade the gas line in the area from a low-pressure line to a medium-pressure line, according to Carly Manino, and will not affect customer bills.
The upgrade will make the line more reliable, Manino said. In the meantime, she added, “We will work with a customer if their service is impacted at any point during the project.”
The line being replaced stretches along the northern side of Grandview Avenue for the entirety of the street, from Limber Road to Sunset Drive.
The existing bare steel pipe will be replaced with PVC, Manino said. The bare, or uncoated, steel pipe will remain in the ground.
“Safety measures are taken, including removing gas, putting air through it and then capping it off,” she said in a message to the Tribune.
Federal agencies in 2011, following several major natural gas pipeline incidents, called for an acceleration in the replacement of the highest-risk portions of pipeline infrastructure, according to the website of the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Cast iron and wrought iron pipelines, many of which are more than 60 years old, were targeted for replacement, as were bare steel pipelines.
“The age and lack of protective coating typically makes bare steel pipelines of higher risk as compared to some other pipelines and candidates for accelerated replacement programs,” according to the administration.
Bare steel gas distribution pipelines in Pennsylvania have been reduced from 8,091 miles to 5,826 last year, a decrease of 28 percent, according to administration data. As of 2020, bare steel lines make up 12 percent of the total distribution pipeline network in the state.
In 2011, National Fuel had 1,002 miles of bare steel distribution lines in Pennsylvania; as of 2020, 824 miles remained in use, a reduction of 17.8 percent. The company is also the largest operator of bare steel transmission lines in the state, with 289.45 miles of the 811 total miles in use, according to administration data. Transmission lines are typically larger and capable of accommodating much hire pressure levels than distribution lines.
Mike Crowley can be reached at 724-6370 or by email at mcrowley@meadvilletribune.com.