Construction May Affect Traffic Through Mid-November
Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) will continue conducting safety and maintenance work this summer and fall on its natural gas pipeline system in Alhambra, South Pasadena, and San Marino. The work will affect traffic in those cities and surrounding neighborhoods through mid-November.
SoCalGas dedicates significant resources to improving the safety and integrity of its more than 101,000 miles of natural gas pipelines. In 2016, the company plans to spend approximately $1.2 billion for improvements to distribution, transmission and storage systems, and for pipeline safety. The work in Alhambra and surrounding cities is part of several SoCalGas safety and maintenance programs approved by the California Public Utilities Commission.
Pipeline maintenance and replacement work is currently underway on Garfield Avenue, beginning south of Huntington Drive and continuing North to Monterey Road, as well as along westbound Huntington Drive, beginning at Garfield Street and continuing southwest to La Senda Place. In addition, pipelines will be replaced along La Senda Place, beginning at Huntington and continuing to Garfield, and along Callita Place. This work will continue until approximately the end of August.
To maintain safety during this work, traffic on Garfield Avenue between Huntington Drive and Oak Street will be diverted to Los Robles at varying times through the end of July. Detours will begin at 8 a.m. on weekdays and will end at 5 p.m. to avoid the evening rush hour.
Additional work begins in early September, when SoCalGas crews will be excavating pipeline and installing testing components at the intersection of West Mission Road and South Marengo Avenue in Alhambra, the intersection of Huntington Drive and Garfield Avenue in South Pasadena, as well as on Garfield Avenue near Callita Place in San Marino. There will be temporary lane closures.
Finally, in mid-September three excavations will take place along Electric Avenue, in 8-foot by 15-foot sections, between Huntington Drive and West Mission Road.
Weather and other factors affecting safe working conditions could change construction scheduling.
Traffic control and detour signs will be placed to guide motorists and facilitate the flow of traffic. Digital message boards, safety cones, and flaggers will be on-site directing traffic. The company advises motorists to drive carefully past the work sites and observe all traffic control signs.
Drivers and pedestrians passing by the construction sites may see excavated sections of pipeline with construction equipment and traffic control signage, as well as trucks and other vehicles.
“Safety is, and has always been the most important part of our work. This work is extremely important to enhancing the safety of our system and providing reliable service to our customers,” said Scott Furgerson, vice president of gas operations for SoCalGas.
SoCalGas strives to provide continuous natural gas service for its customers while the pipeline safety and maintenance work is being performed. Any customers who are expected to experience a temporary natural gas service interruption will be notified by SoCalGas directly. Those who have questions or concerns about the work may call the customer contact center at (800) 427-2200.
SoCalGas has about 5,000 trained employees ready to respond quickly to incidents throughout its service territory. The company applies extensive knowledge and rigorous integrity management to maintaining its natural gas pipelines and facilities. It regularly performs pipeline safety tasks, including patrolling, testing, repairing or replacing pipelines, and identifying and resolving potential problems before they happen. Advanced safety inspection tools are used to monitor pipe conditions and verify the effectiveness of ongoing maintenance activities.
In addition to internal efforts, regulators routinely audit these programs for compliance with all safety regulations. Regulators have consistently found that the company meets or exceeds all federal and state requirements for safe pipeline operations and maintenance, including ongoing technical training and testing for employees.
