Unitil Corporation, (www.unitil.com), a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers in New England, will begin its eighth year of a 14–year project initiative to modernize the Portland area’s natural gas infrastructure. The System Upgrade for Reliable Energy (SURE) project will ensure a more reliable system to meet the growing demand for natural gas in Maine.
The initial work for 2018 is scheduled to begin on Monday, April 16, and will tailor to four zones in particular including the Sagamore Village area, Stevens Avenue between Congress Street and Brighton Avenue, Woodford’s Corner between Pleasant Avenue and Lincoln Street, and the Pleasant Avenue area between Stevens Avenue and Forest Avenue. This multi-year project is synchronized with local city and state projects along with Unitil’s routine maintenance of the expanding distribution system.
"Our priority continues to focus on safely and proficiently upgrading the infrastructure in a timely manner with as little impact to customers as possible. We strive to improve system performance and increase capacity to serve our growing customer list. We are thankful to the residents and businesses in the Portland area for their continued cooperation and understanding during this year's busy construction."
Matt Doughty, Project Manager, Unitil
As the project progresses, minor traffic delays are expected; however, there are no scheduled road closures. Local and commuting traffic will be maintained efficiently throughout the project. New England Utility Constructors (NEUCO) is the contractor for the SURE project.
Due to the construction work in Portland, Unitil will be able to offer natural gas service to new customers who live near the existing pipeline. Residents and businesses in the neighborhood who are interested in switching to natural gas should call Unitil today at 1-888-4-UNITIL, or fill out an online form. For the latest information about the SURE project and construction schedules, please call Unitil at, 1-866-821-4386.
