Residents of Akron’s Ward 8 who are concerned or simply curious about the gas pipeline replacement project affecting streets in the Fairlawn Heights and White Pond Drive neighborhoods can get their questions answered March 12 at a Ward 8 meeting.
An Enbridge Gas Ohio representative, Michael Cunnington, along with representatives from the city, will be at the meeting on Wednesday, March 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the Northwest Family Recreation Center, 1730 Shatto Ave. Enbridge is the company that owns and maintains the natural gas pipelines criss-crossing the neighborhood.
Upgrading the gas lines that date to the 1940s and 1950s and run through the neighborhoods is an essential and ongoing project, said Ward 8 Council Member Bruce Bolden. The work started on Jan. 6 and is expected to be completed in July.
In a Feb. 26 letter to Ward 8 constituents, Bolden said residents had reached out to him about the “sudden road construction, utility markings in your yards, and yellow pipes dropped on streets in the neighborhood.” The addition of construction equipment from Enbridge, the CIty of Akron and other contractors, Bolden said, “creates confusion and speculation of what work is underway, costs, scope and timelines of these projects.”
Bolden told residents he understood the project is very disruptive. “Unfortunatey,” he said in the letter, “Enbridge has not engaged residents on the front end to inform you of the program, or its details.”
Affected streets in Fairlawn Heights include Stockbridge Road, Fairlawn Boulevard and Ridgewood Road, with crews next headed north to Halifax and Ely roads from Fairlawn Boulevard to West Market Street.
Work is also underway in the White Pond Drive neighborhood between Frank Boulevard and West Market Street, which includes Lownsdale Avenue, Annetta Avenue, Lorena Avenue, Thompson Drive, South Pershing Avenue, White Pond Drive, as well as Teeple Drive and Denby Avenue.
Project is part of larger replacement program across Ohio
Enbridge spokesperson Stephanie Moore said in an email to Signal Akron that the project is part of the 25-year, $4 billion Pipeline Infrastructure Replacement (PIR) program that launched in mid-2008. The program will replace more than 5,500 miles of Enbridge’s 22,000-mile natural gas pipeline system in Ohio.
“In Akron in 2024, we invested $18 million to replace 13.5 miles of main line and we upgraded 1,550 service lines,” Moore said.
“We estimate we’ll invest $27 million to replace 22.7 miles of main line and we’ll upgrade 1,300 service lines” in 2025, Moore said.
She said most customers should not experience additional costs associated with the project, since a rider approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) was added to monthly bills starting in November 2009. Possible exceptions include non-Enbridge customers who are establishing new gas service, when repairs to service lines are needed as a result of damage caused by a property owner, consumer or another party, and where faulty lines are running from the meter to the gas equipment.
Moore explained, “Enbridge Gas Ohio finalizes its construction and maintenance of traffic plans. We submit this to the municipality where the work is being conducted for their input. It takes about a month for the city to comb through the plans. They weigh in on it and we make any necessary adjustments.”
Bolden said Enbridge works closely with the city on required permitting.
A pre-construction meeting is then held between the company, municipal officials, traffic control and the contractor doing the work for Enbridge. A notice is mailed to customers alerting them to the construction.
Moore said the company also has an inspector at its construction sites who can answer residents’ questions.