Blaine - 125th Avenue NE from North Lake Boulevard to Lexington Avenue NE - Project Updates

CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractors are finishing the 2021 portion of the project. A crew from Michels Corporation finished replacing the project’s natural gas mains. The traffic control barriers are expected to be removed on Monday, December 20. In the meantime, Q3 Contracting will pave the blacktop areas affected by Michels Corporation’s work with temporary asphalt. In 2022, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractors will return to finish the natural gas work and permanently restore the areas affected by construction. We wish you a safe holiday season!

A crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, finished replacing the project’s natural gas steel main.

Another Michels Corporation crew is continuing to replace the project’s natural gas plastic main. They replaced it along 125th Avenue NE from Lexington Avenue NE to Zest Avenue NE. They are replacing the main along the north side of 125th Avenue NE, heading west toward Legacy Creek Parkway. Tomorrow on Tuesday, December 14, they will close the northbound turn lane from 125th Avenue NE onto Legacy Creek Parkway from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Later this week, the crew will set up a lane shift.

Since the week of November 15, a crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, has been replacing the natural gas steel main on the eastbound lane of 125th Avenue NE between Lake Boulevard N. and Harpers Street NE. During this time, the crew is closing the shoulder while shifting traffic. They plan to finish replacing the main in the week of December 6. Until it’s finished, the southern shoulder of 125th Avenue NE will be closed between North Lake Boulevard and Harper Street NE.

Another crew from Michels Corporation began replacing the project’s natural gas plastic main on Wednesday, December 1. They started along the north side of 125th Avenue NE at Lexington Avenue NE, heading west. Today on Monday, December 6, they are working across Zest Street NE, continuing to head west.

During this week, they will close turn lanes along the northern side of 125th Avenue NE as they progress westward, including the northernmost westbound turn lane off of Lexington Avenue NE and the turn lane going north onto Zest Avenue NE. The turn lane closures remain in place between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. By Friday, December 10, they plan to have replaced the main on three or four blocks, and they will have opened back up to the regular two turn lanes from northbound Lexington Avenue NE to westbound 125th Avenue NE.

The crews will work with residents on maintaining driveway access. They will continue replacing the plastic main into the week of December 20. The shoulder barrier barrels will be removed after the 2021 work is complete.

A crew from Q3 Contracting, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, has been and will continue to put down winter erosion control on the areas affected by construction. The hard surfaces will have temporary asphalt, including those that were previously concrete. In spring 2022, the crews will restore them to their original condition. On any excavations in boulevards and lawns, they will backfill with dirt and place netting over these areas. In spring 2022, they will return with black dirt and seed.

From mid-November 2021 to summer 2022, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractors will work in Blaine along 125th Avenue NE between Harpers Street NE and Lexington Avenue NE. While Michels Corporation will replace two natural gas mains, connect the natural gas service lines to the new mains, and move any inside meters outside, Q3 Contracting will restore the areas affected by Michels Corporation’s work.

In November, Michels Corporation replaced one of the project’s natural gas mains. This was large-diameter steel main. From late November to mid-December, the crew will replace the small-diameter plastic main. In spring 2022, the crew will return to connect the new plastic main to the existing intersecting mains. They will also connect the service lines to the new mains and move any inside meters outside.

This season, Q3 Contracting will put down winter erosion control on the areas affected by Michels Corporation’s work. The hard surfaces will have temporary asphalt, including those that were previously concrete. In spring 2022, the crews will restore them to their original condition.

On any excavations in boulevards and lawns, they will backfill with dirt and place netting over these areas. In spring 2022, they will return with black dirt and seed. If an erosion blanket is needed it is secured in place with staples. The mesh is a wood fiber that will completely degrade. Prior to mowing the restored area, remove any loose staples that secured the blanket.

The construction crews and personnel will continue to use the Covid-19 Customer Permission Flyer, which requests customer permission prior to entering homes. Personnel, contractors and CenterPoint Energy employees will continue to practice CDC guidelines regarding social distancing, sanitary practices and wearing face masks when entering customer homes.

The customer will receive a CenterPoint Energy postcard in the mail typically within one or two weeks prior to the day when the Michels Corporation crews will perform the work. The crews will have CenterPoint Energy-authorized photo IDs stating that they are employees of Michels Corporation.

After the customer receives the postcard, the foreman will arrive at the customer’s house to schedule an appointment that typically meets with the customer’s schedule. If the customer isn’t home when they arrives, he will leave a door tag with his contact information to schedule an appointment with him.

Customers are advised to set aside a two- to four-hour time frame for the inside-to-outside gas meter move. They are also advised to mark their privately-installed utilities such as dog fences or sprinklers. Marking can be accomplished with tools such as spray paint or utility flags. The foreman will access the natural gas meter inside the house, move the meter outside, and relight the natural gas appliance pilot lights after the new meter has been relocated.

Customers with outside meters will be notified prior to the replacement or connection of the service lines to the new mains. Areas affected by our work will be restored to their original condition.

On the soft surfaces such as boulevards and lawns, various erosion control measures keep the restored area moist, hold seed in the soil, and enhance seed germination. If an erosion blanket is needed it is secured in place with staples. The mesh is a wood fiber that will completely degrade. Prior to mowing the restored area, remove any loose staples that secured the blanket.