Natural Gas Line Upgrades in Chaska
Anticipated timeline: A few months beginning December 6, 2024.
The following map illustrates the scope of this project.
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Project resources
- If you contact CenterPoint Energy, please reference the project's work order number 113214209.
Overview
For a few months beginning December 6, as weather allows, CenterPoint Energy's authorized contractors will modernize the natural gas infrastructure in Chaska. The pipes used in these projects are more resistant to corrosion and leakage, helping us continue to provide the safe, reliable service that keeps you comfortable in your home.
CenterPoint works with multiple contractors to carry out construction projects safely and in a timely manner. Equix Integrity updates our records on the locations of sewer lines. Michels Corporation performs gas main and service work. Q3 Contracting restores the areas impacted by the construction.
Traffic impacts
The timing of traffic impacts are yet to be determined and will be communicated through webpage updates as well as email or text notifications for subscribers. Detours and alternate lanes will be present when closures occur.
Marking utilities
CenterPoint Energy will locate public underground utilities. They will be marked with spray paint and utility flags.
If you have installed any private lines such as sprinklers or dog fences, we ask that you mark them with a material that is convenient for you. Examples include spray paint, flags, and wooden sticks used to stir paint. Marking sprinkler heads is sufficient.
If any utility flags are left in residents' yards after restoration is complete, they may be removed and thrown away.
Natural gas main work
This project includes upgrades to both steel and plastic gas mains.
Steel main
Older steel piping lacks the protective coatings that new pipes feature. The coatings add to the infrastructure's durability.
Steel gas mains are used in natural gas distribution. The pipes require a trench to be dug in the road for new sections to be installed. Construction crews place new piping into the ground one section at a time and weld the sections together.
Construction moves a few blocks at a time, completing about one block a week. Due to the impact on the street, traffic detours are often in place. The crews will work with residents to maintain accessibility for their homes.
Typical impacts of steel main replacement include vibrations, noise, and dust.
Plastic main
Plastic mains reaching the end of their useful life are replaced with modern plastic piping that increases the safety and reliability of CenterPoint's gas distribution.
Plastic main is replaced by boring underneath one sidewalk on each road. Please keep in mind that some intersections may not be permanently restored until after the service work is complete. Until then, customers may see temporary backfill such as dirt or gravel.
Service line and meter work
Following the main installation, service lines that run from the property will be connected to the new main. Individual service lines will be upgraded as needed.
CenterPoint Energy will send a postcard in the mail before the service crew comes on site. A technician will schedule appointments for relighting gas service to each property. Crew members will have CenterPoint Energy-authorized photo ID's.
One natural gas crew typically completes one block per week. 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.
The crew will make appointments with residents to move inside meters outside. Customers with outside meters will be notified prior to the replacement or connection of their service lines to the new main.
Customers are encouraged to work with the crew when deciding where to install the meter outdoors. Keep safety limitations in mind, such as a necessary minimum of three feet away from windows, doors, and vents.
Service work is performed daily in a specific order to ensure safety and efficiency. The crews do most of the excavation in the morning, followed by boring and connecting lines. At the end of each day, holes will be backfilled. Due to this process, noise levels are often higher in the morning, and certain areas may be excavated and filled repeatedly. We apologize for the inconvenience this causes.
For more information about natural gas mains, service lines, meters, and sewer laterals visit our Construction Terms webpage.
Abandonments
After service line and meter work, and before restoration, the crew will take the old main out of commission and begin gas service using the new main.
Restoration
The final step in an infrastructure project is to restore the roads, sidewalks, boulevards, and lawns that were impacted by construction.
Restoration is typically on site a few weeks after the completion of all other construction. Until then, temporary restoration is done by the utility crews to maintain an area's livability. To learn about permanent restoration visit the Restoration Practices page .
Please be aware that boulevards are within CenterPoint's right of way, meaning it is within our rights to access this land to maintain our infrastructure. We understand the significance garden beds may hold with homeowners. While we are committed to restoring areas affected by our construction, we do not promise to return garden beds within the right-of-way to their former state. It is recommended that you rehome valuable or delicate plants from the boulevard for the duration of construction.
Thank you for your patience as we improve our natural gas distribution system! We value the privilege of having you as a customer.
