Columbia Gas projects will stretch into spring

Gas line replacement projects started this winter in Findlay could take up to five months to complete, according to Columbia Gas of Ohio. Benjamin Cutler, a public affairs specialist at Columbia Gas of Ohio, updated Findlay City Council on the projects Tuesday. Work to install about 16,000 feet of plastic pipe, mostly on Washington Avenue, between Lima Street and East Yates Avenue, began last week. The line serves about 300 residences. The project could take up to five months to complete, depending on the availability of workers, Cutler said. A second project, installing new lines in the neighborhoods of McManness Avenue, G Street and Tiffin Avenue, will begin later this month. Columbia Gas will install about 9,200 feet of plastic pipe, serving about 210 residents in that area. This project is expected to take three to four months to complete. Cutler said the new lines are part of a 25-year initiative by Columbia Gas to replace about 20,000 miles of gas line in Ohio. The previous infrastructure will be "abandoned in place," with the new plastic pipe running beside it, he said. The new plastic pipe is sturdier and more flexible than the old line, which Cutler said has been in the ground since the 1950s or '60s. He said the old lines are still working, but are more expensive to repair and replace than the installation of the modern plastic pipe. Once the new main lines are installed, Cutler said Columbia Gas will make appointments to install new service lines to each residence in the project area. It will take about two or three hours to install the new service line. He said the company works to avoid gas service disruptions to homes on very cold days and that some residential appointments may need to be rescheduled due to weather. The company will eventually replace all its service lines in town, but it will take time. Priority is being given to areas with more frequent problems with leaks, Cutler said. Once the projects are finished, he said the company will complete a final restoration of the areas affected. He said the restoration will meet city code and properties will be restored to their original conditions or better. In other business Tuesday, council gave the first reading to an ordinance to appropriate $8,464 from the Hancock Park District's annual Community Park Improvement Program for repair of Riverside Park Shelter #15. The restoration will include repairing mortar joints, a power wash and sealing. Grant: 419-427-8412