FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2015
Making New Jersey Energy Strong: PSE&G to upgrade gas facilities in Jersey City
(April 24, 2015) – Under its Energy Strong program, Public Service Electric & Gas Co. (PSE&G) is upgrading natural gas facilities in the following sections of Jersey City:
· Christopher Columbus Drive to Grand Avenue
· Varick Street to Warren Street
· Division Street to Warren Street
· Manila Avenue to 13th Street
· Intersection of 13th Street at Monmouth Street
Beginning on or about April 27, work will take place Monday through Friday between the hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., conditions permitting.
Before construction can start, the utility has been making test holes to verify the location of the existing gas main. After this work is complete, PSE&G will then begin installing new gas mains and upgrading associated service lines that carry the gas to homes and businesses.
PSE&G has met several times with Jersey City officials to review the work and obtain all necessary permits. In addition, the company will host a meeting for residents in the affected areas 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 30, 2015 to explain the project in more detail. The meeting will be held at City Hall, 280 Grove Street, Jersey City.
This upgrade is part of PSE&G’s Energy Strong program to strengthen and protect the state’s electric and gas infrastructure from severe weather. Customers will be notified when work is about to begin in their area and can find a list of streets at www.pseg.com/energystrong.
The gas main replacement portion of the work is expected to be complete in December. The paving and restoration of the streets is expected to be finished by the spring of 2016.
As part of Energy Strong, PSE&G is replacing 250 miles of older cast iron main with new plastic pipe in or near flood areas throughout its service territory. In 2014, the utility installed over 98 miles of new pipe in 34 towns throughout New Jersey. These new pipes will prevent water from entering the mains, increasing the reliability of gas service in these locations.
“We’re working to build the resiliency into our systems needed to withstand the kind of severe weather that has devastated our state in recent years,” said Ralph LaRossa, PSE&G president and COO. “The gas pipes we are replacing were impacted by flood waters from Hurricane Irene or the storm surges from Superstorm Sandy. Once this work is done, our gas system in these areas will be better protected during future storms.”
To upgrade the mains, it will be necessary to dig trenches in the roadway to install the new pipe. As a result, there may be road closures, detours and/or parking restrictions. Local police will be on the scene to direct vehicle and pedestrian traffic. At the end of each workday, the trenches will be filled in. Plates will be secured on any other open areas so people can safely drive and walk.
Once the gas mains are upgraded, PSE&G will need to access customers’ homes to connect their service and meter to the new main. PSE&G will contact homeowners to arrange a date and time to do the work. During this reconnection, customers will be without gas service for approximately four hours. We regret any inconvenience this may cause.
For everyone’s safety, PSE&G crews will be using work area protection including traffic cones, utility work signs, and barriers to allow the job to be done safely. The utility reminds motorists to slow down and follow detour signs when driving through the construction area.
Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) is New Jersey’s oldest and largest regulated gas and electric delivery utility, serving nearly three-quarters of the state’s population. PSE&G is the winner of the ReliabilityOne Award for superior electric system reliability. PSE&G is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a diversified energy company (www.pseg.com).
