LaVista/Northlake Pipeline Replacement Underway

For the next six months, Northlake-area businesses, homeowners and commuters will have to adapt to the presence of construction crews as Atlanta Gas Light upgrades old pipelines in the area to newer, safer ones.

“We have a safe and reliable system,” said Tami Gerke, Media Relations Manager for Atlanta Gas Light, who cited an aging infrastructure and the need to maintain that safety and reliability as the reason for the improvements.

Drivers can expect to see one lane closed on parts of LaVista Road between I-285 and LaVista Woods Drive from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Smaller streets in the area will also experience lane closures. A complete map of affected streets can be found here.

In addition to the lane closures, sidewalks and private property along the street will also be temporarily disturbed. Some businesses and homes along the route will experience interruptions in gas service. Businesses and homeowners who will be directly affected have been or will be contacted by Atlanta Gas Light.

“We understand and apologize for the inconvenience,” said Gerke. The project is expected to be completed by October 2011.

The work is part of the Pipeline Replacement Program, a 15-year initiative to replace 2,600 miles of cast-iron pipelines in metro Atlanta with plastic and steel pipes. According to Gerke, 2,300 miles of pipelines have been replaced since 1998, and the remaining 300 miles will be finished by the 2013 deadline.

InfraSource Services has been contracted to complete the Northlake project.