UGI plans $85M in improvements for 2014

Reading-based UGI Utilities will spend more than $85 million in fiscal year 2014 to replace natural gas mains and complete a variety of system enhancement projects in the Lehigh Valley, Berks County, Lancaster County and Harrisburg areas.

That's about 20 percent more than the $71.1 million the utility budgeted for replacement and enhancement projects in 2013.

The work will encompass about 65 miles of cast iron and bare steel gas mains, which will be replaced with more contemporary materials, such as high density plastic or cathodically protected steel, the company said.

The work is part of UGI's plan to spend $1.2 billion to replace all pipelines made of noncontemporary material over the next 30 years.

UGI said the replacement schedule is guided by an infrastructure plan that prioritizes projects based on risk assessment and other factors. More than 85 percent of UGI's 12,000 miles of gas pipelines are constructed of contemporary materials.

The improvement plan was developed in the wake of a gas main explosion during the night of Feb. 9, 2011, on North 13th Street in Allentown. Five people were killed and several homes destroyed and damaged. A cast iron gas main was cited as the source of the explosion.

"Safety is always UGI's first priority," said Hans Bell, UGI vice president of engineering. "These infrastructure projects continue our commitment to ensure our system provides safe, reliable service for our customers, and for the many communities we serve."

Last year, UGI worked on 63 miles of gas mains.

During these construction projects, UGI will provide an opportunity for homes and businesses without natural gas service in the affected areas to convert to natural gas, the company said.

Projects include:

BERKS

Reading
• 400 block of South Ninth Street
• 1400 block of North Sixth Street

Mount Penn
• 2600-2700 blocks of Cumberland Avenue
• 300-600 blocks of Butter Lane

Exeter
• 4200 block of St. Lawrence Avenue

LEHIGH VALLEY

Allentown
• 800-900 blocks of Cedar Street
• 800-900 blocks of East Hamilton Street
• 800-900 blocks of North Fourth Street
• 300 block of Susquehanna Street
• 800-900 blocks of Poplar Street
• 2800 block of College Drive
• 100 block of St. George Street
• 1900 block of East Cedar Street
• 2800-3000 blocks of Chew Street
• 400 block of Cherokee Street

Bethlehem
• 1000-1200 blocks of Center Street
• 1500 block of Monocacy Street
• 2200 block of Eaton Avenue
• 600-700 blocks of Highland Avenue
• 400-500 block of Carlton Avenue

Easton
• 400 block of West Berwick Street

Coplay
• 000 block of North Third Street
• 900-1000 blocks of Chestnut Street

Northampton
• 400-500 blocks of East Ninth Street

Bethlehem Township
• 3700 block of Linden Street
• 4200-4300 blocks of Winfield Terrace

Salisbury Township
• 1700 block of Susquehanna Street

Upper Saucon Township
• 000-200 blocks of Saucon Drive

A complete list of scheduled infrastructure projects, along with their status, can be found at www.ugi.com/construction. This site is updated as projects are scheduled and completed. The site also includes a list of projects that have been completed in the past six months.

Source: LVB.com