LOS ANGELES, October 20, 2017 – Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) announced that work to replace a 1.5-mile section of a natural gas transmission pipeline in the city of Arroyo Grande will begin on Monday, Oct. 23. The project is expected to be completed in April 2018.
Modernizing this section of pipeline will enhance the reliability of natural gas service for thousands of residential and commercial customers in the communities of Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Grover Beach, Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo.
“More than 90 percent of homes in this region use natural gas for heat and hot water,” said Timothy Mahoney, public affairs manager for SoCalGas. “Upgrading our pipeline system ensures we can continue to reliably provide the natural gas service our customers count on.”
SoCalGas’ five-year capital plan includes $6 billion in infrastructure investments, including approximately $1.2 billion this year for improvements to distribution, transmission and storage systems and for pipeline safety.
“Residents and businesses owners in San Luis Obispo County continue to benefit from SoCalGas’ investment in our natural gas infrastructure,” said Judith Bean, president of the Arroyo Grande Grover Beach Chamber of Commerce. “Installing this new pipeline will ensure that our communities continue to receive safe, reliable natural gas service.”
The project will include Branch Street near the intersection of Rodeo Drive, Halcyon Road, Feah Avenue, Alpine Street, Fair Oaks Avenue and Valley Road in Arroyo Grande, as shown in this link.
Crews are expected to work on the natural gas pipeline on West Branch Street on Monday through Friday from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m. to minimize traffic congestion. Work hours at other project locations in the area will be Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Lane reductions and parking restrictions will be in effect on Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Traffic control officers, traffic cones and digital signage will help direct the flow of traffic near the work site. On Interstate 101, a message board at the off-ramps for Halcyon Road will alert commuters about potential traffic delays for that exit.
Customers are not anticipated to experience any service interruptions. Some residents and local business owners may occasionally smell the odorant in natural gas and may also hear some work-related noise. During work hours, commuters passing by the work site will see excavation, equipment and vehicles. Residents with questions may contact SoCalGas’ call center at 1-800-427-2200. The call center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Pipeline replacement is one of the ways SoCalGas maintains the safety and reliability of our natural gas pipeline system. The effort is part of SoCalGas’ Pipeline Safety Enhancement Plan, a multi-billion-dollar program that identifies various high pressure pipeline sections throughout SoCalGas’ system and schedules them to be pressure-tested and/or replaced.
About SoCalGas
Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas® is the largest natural gas distribution utility in the United States, providing clean, safe, affordable and reliable natural gas service to 21.7 million customers in Central and Southern California. Its service territory spans 22,000 square miles from Fresno to the Mexican border, reaching more than 550 communities through 5.9 million meters and 101,000 miles of pipeline. More than 90 percent of Southern California single-family home residents use natural gas for home heat and hot water. In addition, natural gas plays a key role in providing electricity to Californians—about 60 percent of electric power generated in the state comes from gas-fired power plants.
SoCalGas has served communities in California for 150 years and is committed to being a leader in the region’s clean energy future. The company has committed to spending $6 billion over the next five years to modernize and upgrade its gas infrastructure, while also reducing methane emissions. SoCalGas is working to accelerate the use of renewable natural gas, a carbon-neutral or carbon-negative fuel created by capturing and conditioning greenhouse gas emissions from farms, landfills and wastewater treatment plants. The company is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego. For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook.