Unitil, a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers in New England, will commence the ninth year of its 14–year project System Upgrade for Reliable Energy (SURE) project this month as part of its ongoing effort to modernize the Portland area’s natural gas infrastructure.
The initial work for 2019 is scheduled to begin on Monday, April 15 and will tailor to five zones in particular including Brighton Avenue between Taft Avenue and Stevens Avenue, Preble Street between Kennebec Street and Congress Street, Cumberland Avenue between Forest Avenue and State Street, Free Street, Center Street, York Street between Fore Street and High Street, and finally Danforth Street between State Street and Vaughan Street. This multi-year project is synchronized with local city and state road projects along with Unitil’s routine maintenance of its gas infrastructure.
Approximately ten miles of gas main will be replaced or upgraded during this year’s SURE project construction and excavation work. Unitil will also upgrade over 600 service lines. This year’s initiative is expected to conclude prior to around late October, though weather conditions throughout the construction season can impact this timeline. To date, we have successfully replaced or upgraded 55 miles of gas main as part of the project since its launch in 2011 and are on track for 2024 completion.'
"It is extremely important to us that we are safely upgrading the infrastructure in a timely manner. As our customer base continues to grow, we strive to enhance system performance and increase its capacity. We are thankful to the residents and businesses in the Portland area for their continued cooperation and support during our multi-year project."
Project Manager, Matt Doughty
As the project progresses, traffic will be moving at all times and there are no scheduled road closures. Minor delays are expected. 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.
For an updated project map and general summary of the year-long work plan, please visit https://unitil.com/sure.
