Residents of Hastings, brace yourselves for a few months of construction-related disruption as CenterPoint Energy commences its plan to upgrade the natural gas infrastructure in your neighborhood. This work is set to begin in early April, hand in hand with the Minnesota Department of Transportation's paving project. For the exact locations that will be affected by the work zone, you can find a detailed map here.
In preparation for the upcoming construction, CenterPoint Energy will have contractors locating sewer laterals and marking public underground utilities to prevent potential damage, according to a communication released by the company. Hastings residents should be ready to indicate any private utility lines they may have installed, such as sprinkler systems or invisible dog fences, by using spray paint, flags, or any other convenient markers. The identification of these lines is a preemptive step to ensure the safety of the community, but it also comes with the warning that some of the neighborhood's intersections might remain in a temporarily restored state, which means you could be seeing a patchwork of dirt and gravel, instead of smooth pavement, until the work is wrapped up.
Keeping the gas flowing is a top priority, so CenterPoint Energy has planned a systematic approach to replacing old plastic mains with new, safer piping and promises to send advance notice via postcard before service crews arrive on the scene. According to their bulletin, a natural gas crew "typically completes one block per week," which suggests that the project's progress should be steady, yet it may also mean prolonged work in some areas.
Once the heavy lifting of the infrastructure upgrade is behind them, CenterPoint Energy commits to restoring the roads, sidewalks, boulevards, and lawns impacted by the construction. Though temporary restoration measures will be in place to keep areas livable, permanent fixes are anticipated to follow a few weeks after all other construction is concluded. As for the movement around Hastings while work is being undertaken, traffic impacts are expected to be limited to "restrictions on street parking, closure of one sidewalk at a time, and lane shifts" as described by the utility. The company reassures residents that they will work to maintain home access throughout the course of the project.
If questions arise, or if residents need more clarification on the anticipated construction process and its impacts, they are encouraged to visit the utility's website or reach out directly to CenterPoint Energy's Communication Specialist at [email protected] or by calling 612-542-6198.
