Jul 9, 2014 2 min read

McMURRAY – In an effort to avoid interfering with traffic while replacing an aging gas line along East McMurray Road in Peters Township, Columbia Gas Co. will work on the $1 million project from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sundays through Fridays.

Brynnly Schwartz, communications specialist for the gas company, said the project began Monday and is anticipated to be completed before the asphalt plants close in October.

The completion date is dependent on weather, Schwartz said, and will involve only one lane of the two-lane road owned by the state Department of Transportation.

The multicolored spray paint and stakes with pink ribbons designate what other utility lines are in the area with yellow paint indicating where the existing gas line is located. The entire project will travel about 11,000 feet, or more than two miles.

Schwartz said the gas company worked with township officials to ensure the least impact on traffic.

Michael Silvestri, township manager, said officials hoped to delay the project until possibly next summer, after the 16-month project to improve Valley Brook Road is finished and the road is opened around Labor Day. Many of the vehicles are detoured from Valley Brook Road to East McMurray Road during the construction to realign and rebuild the intersection of Valley Brook and Old Washington roads, along with a ramp to and from Washington Road. Valley Brook Road closed in May 2013.

Additional aging gas lines will be replaced on other streets in the township with that work being done during daylight hours, Schwartz said.

Since 2007, Columbia Gas has spent $700 million upgrading and replacing gas line infrastructure in Pennsylvania, with $188 million of that amount being spent in 2014. About $20 million is being spent this year on projects in Washington County.