Eversource Upgrading Natural Gas System In New London

NEW LONDON, CT — Now though May across the city, Eversource is replacing around two miles worth of antiquated cast iron and steel natural gas mains with plastic piping.

The $3 million project which is currently underway will see more than a dozen streets dug up between now and early spring.

"To ensure the continued safe and reliable delivery of natural gas to its customers," the utility says the project involves construction crews working, weather permitting, Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. depending on the location.

Work will be done along Cedar Grove, Connecticut and Lincoln avenues; Broad, Center, Channing, Cleveland, Dow, Elm, Georgiana, Granite, Learned, Ledyard, South Ledyard and West streets; Cape Ann Court and Ashcraft Road.

Eversource says it communicates with community leaders and customers where work is being done to minimize the impact to traffic and coordinate with other roadwork happening in the town. Drivers may experience delays due to alternating one-way traffic. Customers may experience a short disruption to their natural gas service when the new line is being activated and they will be notified in advance by letter, phone or an in-person visit. This gas line improvement work is expected to be complete in early May.

Eversource says it's using plastic pipe, "which is safer, more durable, and better able to handle fluctuations in underground temperatures."

Eversource says it is "always working to serve customers better, Eversource has replaced more than 180 miles of aging gas lines around the state since 2011."

“These investments allow us to further modernize the gas distribution system, minimizing repairs and any service interruptions,” Eversource President of Gas Operations Bill Akley said. “Proactively upgrading the system helps to ensure our customers in Connecticut have a better, stronger network for decades to come.”