Natural Gas Line Replacements in St. Louis Park
Anticipated timeline: Monday, May 20 into fall 2024
Project resources
- If you contact CenterPoint Energy, please reference the project’s work order number 109670429.
Overview
This year, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractors will upgrade CenterPoint Energy’s natural gas infrastructure in St. Louis Park. The pipes used in these pipeline replacement and modernization projects are more resistant to corrosion and leakage, helping us continue to provide the safe, reliable service you count on that keeps you comfortable in your home.Equix Integrity updates our records on the locations of sewer lines in relation to natural gas lines. Michels Corporation will replace a small-diameter natural gas plastic main, move inside meters outside by appointment, replace and/or reconnect service lines to the plastic main, and replace a large-diameter natural gas steel main. Q3 Contracting will restore the areas affected by Michels Corporation’s work outside the limits of
Hennepin County’s Minnetonka Boulevard Reconstruction Project. There will be no assessment or cost associated with our work.
Anticipated timeline
- From late May into early summer (Phase 1), the crews will work on Minnetonka Boulevard from France Avenue S. to Joppa Avenue S. and on Sunset Boulevard from France Avenue S. to Joppa Avenue S.
- From summer to fall (Phase 2), the crews will work on Minnetonka Boulevard from Joppa Avenue S. to Salem Avenue S.
- Along Sunset Boulevard from France Avenue S. to Joppa Avenue S. and along Minnetonka Boulevard from France Avenue S. to Joppa Avenue S., Michels Corporation will replace the plastic main, move inside meters outside, and replace and/or reconnect service lines to the plastic main.
- Along Minnetonka Boulevard from France Avenue S. to Salem Avenue S., Michels Corporation will replace the steel main.
Marking utilities
CenterPoint Energy will contact Gopher State One Call 811 to locate public underground utilities such as water, sewer, and cable. You will see markings such as spray paint and utility flags. They will be color-coordinated to indicate a separate utility.
If you have installed any private lines such as sprinklers or dog fences, we ask that you mark them with whatever material is convenient for you. Examples include spray paint, flags, and wooden sticks used to stir paint. Marking sprinkler heads is sufficient.
If any utility flags are left in residents’ yards after the natural gas work and the restoration work is done, and the crew do not remove the flags, residents can remove the flags and throw them away.
Traffic impacts
During the plastic main, service line, and meter work, the crews plan to close the north sidewalk of Minnetonka Boulevard; the south sidewalk of Sunset Boulevard; the parking lanes next to these sidewalks; and parking on both sides of Sunset Boulevard. Two-way traffic on these roads and access to and from driveways will be maintained.
During the steel main replacement, two-way traffic will be maintained on Minnetonka Boulevard with lane closures. There will be closures of some the roads intersecting Minnetonka Boulevard. The crews will work with residents and businesses on maintaining access to and from their properties, driveways, and parking lots.
During the restoration work, there may be some lane, parking, and sidewalk closures where the crews are working.
Small-diameter plastic main work
The crew plans to bore the main underneath one sidewalk on each road. Please keep in mind that some intersections or some sidewalk panels at intersections may not be permanently restored until after the service line work is done. After all customers’ service lines are transferred to the new main, the crew can connect the new main to the existing intersecting mains and put the new main into service. Then the restoration crew will permanently restore these areas. Until then, customers may see temporary backfill such as dirt or gravel. We thank you for your patience!
Service line and meter work
The customer will receive a CenterPoint Energy postcard in the mail before the natural gas crews perform the work. The crews will have CenterPoint Energy-authorized photo IDs. After the customer receives the postcard, the technician 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 arrive, they will leave a door tag with their contact information to schedule an appointment with them.
One natural gas crew typically works on about one block per week. They will either fully replace the service line or reconnect it to the new main, depending on the line’s age. For most properties, the crews remove at least one sidewalk panel in front of the house, excavate a hole by the outside meter, and bore the service line from the sidewalk to the house.
For inside meters, the crew will make a two- to three-hour appointment at a time that works with the resident. We encourage customers to work with the crew on where they want the meter to go, keeping limitations in mind such as a minimum of three feet away from areas such as windows, doors, and vents. Customers with outside meters will be notified prior to the replacement or connection of the service lines to the new mains.
The technician 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.
Large-diameter steel main work
The crew will replace a large-diameter natural gas steel main on the same streets as the previous gas work. The crew needs to open trench the road to weld pieces of the main together. Please expect road closures for a few blocks at a time and a sidewalk closure on one side of the road. Traffic will be detoured to one or two blocks over. The crews will work with residents on maintaining access to and from their homes. Typical impacts during steel main replacement may include noise, dust, and vibrations. Restoration will follow the steel main work.
Restoration
After the service line and meter work, the gas crew will backfill the excavated areas with dirt or gravel. This will be temporary before the restoration crew comes. On boulevards and lawns, they will refill the areas with black dirt, grass seed, and netting made of wood fiber that degrades over about four months. Prior to mowing the restored area, remove any loose staples that secured the netting. For photo examples, please visit our
Restoration Practices page.
We hope to minimize the disruption as much as possible. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as we replace our infrastructure. We wish you a great season.
