Eastern Part of Bloomington (from I-35W to Hwy 77)
Anticipated timeline:
- Project 1: Several months beginning on Monday, May 15
- Project 2: May to July 2023
- If you contact CenterPoint Energy, please reference the project's respective work order numbers:
- Project 1: 106531624
- Project 2: Scattered service work / Bloomington LPO
Project 1
Overview
For several months beginning on Monday, May 15, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractors will work in the eastern part of Bloomington along the following streets:
On the following streets, the crews will work on the natural gas mains, service lines, and meters:
- 14th Avenue S. from 82nd to 86th Streets E.
- 15th Avenue S. from 82nd to 83rd Streets E.
- Bloomington Avenue S. from 82nd to 86th Streets E.
- 16th Avenue S. from 82nd to 86th Streets E.
- Crest Road from 12th to 14th Avenues S.
- 82nd Street E. from 14th S. to Bloomington Avenues S. and from 17th to 18th Avenues S.
On one street, the crews will work only the service lines and meters:
- 17th Avenue S. from 82nd to 84th Streets E.
Equix Integrity updates our records on the locations of sewer lines in relation to natural gas lines. Michels Corporation will replace natural gas mains, move inside meters to the outside of homes, and replace or reconnect service lines as needed. Q3 Contracting will restore the areas affected by Michels Corporation’s work. There will be no assessment or cost associated with our work.
During this time, parking restrictions may occur on one or both sides of the roads where the crews are working. Sidewalk and/or lane closures may occur one at a time, leaving the opposite one open.
Marking utilities
CenterPoint Energy will contact Gopher State One Call 811 to locate public underground utilities such as water, sewer, and cable. You will see markings such as spray paint and utility flags. They will be color-coordinated to indicate a separate utility.
If you have installed any private lines such as sprinklers or dog fences, we ask that you mark them with whatever material is convenient for you. Examples include spray paint, flags, and wooden sticks used to stir paint. Marking sprinkler heads is sufficient.
Natural gas main work
The crew plans to bore the main underneath one sidewalk or boulevard on each road. Please keep in mind that some intersections or some sidewalk panels at intersections may not be permanently restored until after the service line work is done. After all customers’ service lines are transferred to the new main, the crew can connect the new main to the existing intersecting mains and put the new main into service. Then the restoration crew will permanently restore these areas. Until then, customers may see temporary backfill such as dirt or gravel. We thank you for your patience!
Service line and meter work
The customer will receive a CenterPoint Energy postcard in the mail describing the project before the natural gas crews perform the work. The crews will have CenterPoint Energy-authorized photo IDs. 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 arrive, they will leave a door tag with their contact information to schedule an appointment with them.
One natural gas crew typically works on about one block per week. They will either fully replace the service line or reconnect it to the new main, depending on the line’s age. For most properties, the crews remove at least one sidewalk panel in front of the house, excavate a hole by the outside meter, and bore the service line from the sidewalk to the house.
For inside meters, the crew will make a two- to three-hour appointment at a time that works with the resident. We encourage customers to work with the crew on where they want the meter to go, keeping limitations in mind such as a minimum of three feet away from areas such as windows, doors, and vents. Customers with outside meters will be notified prior to the replacement or connection of the service lines to the new mains.
The technician 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.
Restoration
After the service line and meter work, the gas crew will backfill the excavated areas with dirt or gravel. This will be temporary before the restoration crew comes. On boulevards and lawns, they will refill the areas with black dirt, grass seed, and netting that degrades over about four months. Prior to mowing the restored area, remove any loose staples that secured the blanket. For photo examples, please visit our
Restoration Practices page.
Project 2
Overview
This summer, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractors have been and will continue to work in Bloomington. In the month of June, Michels Corporation will replace residents’ outside meters and the copper risers connecting residents’ outside meters to the gas service line that leads into the house. Some natural gas service lines will be replaced from the outside meter to the main in the street. Q3 Contracting will restore the areas affected by Michels Corporation’s work. There will be no assessment or cost associated with our work.
Work will be done on select houses between Spring Valley Drive and 98th Street W. and between Nicollet and Humboldt Avenues.
Natural gas work
Each house takes about 2 to 3 hours for the gas work. When the gas work is done, the crew will relight the pilot lights. If the customer isn’t home, the crew will leave a door tag with the number 612-372-5050 or 1-800-722-9326 to call for a technician to relight the pilot lights for free.
If the crew is replacing just the riser and meter, the customer should expect little to no digging in their yard. If the crew will replace the service line, most service lines are bored underground, with one hole by the outside meter and another in the sidewalk or boulevard.
Restoration
If there are excavations in the yard or sidewalk, the gas crew will backfill the excavated areas with dirt or gravel. This will be temporary before the restoration crew comes. On boulevards and lawns, the crew will refill the areas with black dirt, grass seed, and netting that degrades over about four months. Prior to mowing the restored area, remove any loose staples that secured the netting.This month, Q3 Contracting is restoring the areas affected by CenterPoint Energy’s gas work in fall 2022 throughout CenterPoint Energy’s service territory in Minnesota. Because of this delay, Q3 Contracting may not restore your neighborhood until several weeks after gas work was done on your home. We appreciate your patience as we’re working as quickly as we can.
