Minnetonka - Elmwood Strand Park Neighborhood - Project Updates

By approximately Monday, June 27, a crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, plans to finish replacing the project’s natural gas mains. In the past few weeks, they replaced the mains along the following streets: Fairlawn Drive between Tonkaway Road and Linden Drive; The Mall between Tonkaway Road and The Strand; the northern part of Druid Lane off Minnetonka Boulevard; Woodcroft Drive between The Strand and Linden Drive; and Larchwood Circle.

Another Michels Corporation crew has been following the main crew’s route to connect the service lines to the new mains and to move inside meters outside.

In the past month, a crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, has replaced natural gas mains along the following streets: Steele Street, Tonkaway Road (between Steele Street and Moorland Road), The Strand (between Elmwood Place and Steele Street), Moorland Road and Moorland Circle, Elmwood Place, Larchwood Drive (north of The Strand), and The Strand (between Larchwood Drive and Croftview Terrace).

In the weeks of June 13 and 20, the crew will replace the natural gas main under the east boulevard of Druid Lane and Meadow Lane towards The Strand. During this time, parking will be restricted on the east side of both Druid Lane and Meadow Lane in this area.

Another Michels Corporation crew has been connecting the natural gas service lines to the new mains. They have been following the main crew’s route and are currently working on Moorland Road, working east. The crew has finished the service line and meter work along the following streets: Moorland Road from Minnetonka Boulevard to The Strand; Tonkaway Road between Moorland Road and Steele Street; and The Strand from Moorland Road to Steele Street.

In the week of May 9, the crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, will replace the natural gas under the east boulevard of Moorland Road between The Strand and Minnetonka Boulevard. They will replace natural gas mains on the north and east boulevards on Tonkaway Road, and on the east boulevard of Steele Street between The Strand and Minnetonka Boulevard. During this time, parking will be restricted on both sides of these streets when crews reach these areas.

This week, a crew from Michels Corporation, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractor, has replaced the natural gas main under the east boulevard of Larchwood Drive just north of The Strand, and under the south boulevard of The Strand between Croftview Terrace and Larchwood Drive. During this time, parking will be restricted on both sides of the streets in these areas.

In the week of May 2, the crew will start connecting the service lines to the new main and moving inside meters outside.

In early May, they plan to replace the natural gas mains under the following streets: under the north boulevard of The Strand between Elmwood Place and Steele Street, the east boulevard of Steele Street between Moorland Road and Tonka Lane, the south boulevard of Tonka Lane between Moorland Road and Steele Street, the east boulevard of Moorland Road between The Strand and Minnetonka Boulevard, and the north and the east boulevards between Moorland Road and Steele Street.

During this time, parking will be restricted on both sides of these streets when crews reach these areas.

From Monday, April 18 into summer 2022, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractors will work in Minnetonka along select streets from Minnetonka Boulevard to Linden Drive and from Larchwood Drive to Steele Street. While Michels Corporation will replace the natural gas mains, connect the natural gas service lines to the new mains, and move any inside meters outside, Q3 Contracting will restore the areas affected by Michels Corporation’s work. During this time, lane shifts will occur. Parking may be restricted on the side of the street where the crews are working.

The construction crews and personnel will continue to use the Covid-19 Customer Permission Flyer, which requests customer permission prior to entering homes. Personnel, contractors and CenterPoint Energy employees will continue to practice CDC guidelines regarding social distancing, sanitary practices and wearing face masks when entering customer homes.

The customer will receive a CenterPoint Energy postcard in the mail typically within one or two weeks prior to the day when the Michels Corporation crews will perform the work. The crews will have CenterPoint Energy-authorized photo IDs stating that they are employees of Michels Corporation.

After the customer receives the postcard, the foreman will arrive at the customer’s house to schedule an appointment that typically meets with the customer’s schedule. If the customer isn’t home when they arrives, he will leave a door tag with his contact information to schedule an appointment with him.

Customers are advised to set aside a two- to four-hour time frame for the inside-to-outside gas meter move. They are also advised to mark their privately-installed utilities such as dog fences or sprinklers. Marking can be accomplished with tools such as spray paint or utility flags. The foreman will access the natural gas meter inside the house, move the meter outside, and relight the natural gas appliance pilot lights after the new meter has been relocated.

Customers with outside meters will be notified prior to the replacement or connection of the service lines to the new mains. Areas affected by our work will be restored to their original condition.

On the soft surfaces such as boulevards and lawns, various erosion control measures keep the restored area moist, hold seed in the soil, and enhance seed germination. If an erosion blanket is needed it is secured in place with staples. The mesh is a wood fiber that will completely degrade. Prior to mowing the restored area, remove any loose staples that secured the blanket.