(A crew from Pacific Gas & Electric work on a large pipe that will be placed underground on Pennsylvania Drive Thursday during an ongoing major project around Watsonville to upgrade natural gas lines. Photo by Tarmo Hannula/Pajaronian)
WATSONVILLE — Work crews from Pacific Gas & Electric are continuing their efforts of replacing portions of PG&E’s underground natural gas pipelines in Watsonville.
Crews began work on June 26 by excavating at Pennsylvania Drive from Main Street at Ramsay Park to Green Valley Road and then from Green Valley Road from Pennsylvania Drive to Lawrence Avenue, said PG&E spokeswoman Mayra Tostado.
The work hours are Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Traffic impacts of the work will include lane closures with traffic control onsite.
Barring unexpected delays, work on the overall project will run through October, Tostado said. The work on Pennsylvania Drive will run through Sept. 14.
There are no planned natural gas service outages, according to PG&E. If that changes, a PG&E representative will contact the impacted customers.
Crews will vent natural gas from pipelines as the project progresses. As PG&E vents the pipe, the smell of natural gas and the sound of venting may be noticeable to nearby homes and businesses, depending on the wind direction. The natural gas will quickly dissipate into the atmosphere and will not be harmful.
PG&E encourages anyone with concerns about the project to call 1-800-743-5000.
