SoCalGas pipeline work in Santa Ana will affect traffic on North Grand Ave.

SoCalGas will be doing some work in the City of Santa Ana, as part of their Pipeline Safety Enhancement Plan.  They will be testing a segment of pipe. The work began in late July.  The work will take place at several locations along North Grand Ave. beginning at the intersection of East Chestnut Ave. and ending at the intersection of East 2nd St. The work is expected to take three to four weeks.

Southbound traffic on North Grand Avenue will be reduced to left hand lanes during this work. This change will be marked with traffic cones and signs. Nearby residents may hear some work-related noise. Crews will be working 20 hour days Monday through Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. A letter was sent to notify neighbors about the project for your reference.

About the Pipeline Safety Enhancement Plan:

The Pipeline Safety Enhancement Plan was filed to comply with the CPUC’s pipeline safety rulemaking proceeding directives to enhance public safety. As part of the proceeding, the CPUC ordered the state’s natural gas transmission pipeline operators to develop plans to replace or pressure test all natural gas transmission pipelines that have not been pressure tested. Regulations specifying pressure testing were implemented after many of the transmission pipelines were installed. We also are proposing to retrofit existing valves so we can respond to transmission pipeline incidents more quickly and in multiple locations simultaneously. Additionally, we propose to install technology enhancements, such as fiber optic cabling and methane detection instruments, to enable near real-time monitoring of events and conditions along our pipelines. The plan was filed in August 2011 and is still pending CPUC approval; however, SoCalGas has been instructed by the CPUC to being work.