Gilroy
– The first stage of a project to keep pace with the city’s
growing energy needs is nearly complete, with PG
&
amp;E workers finishing up a two-month installation of
high-pressure gas lines along First Street.
Gilroy – The first stage of a project to keep pace with the city’s growing energy needs is nearly complete, with PG&E workers finishing up a two-month installation of high-pressure gas lines along First Street.
The project began in early September, with two teams working their way toward each other from Monterey Street and Santa Teresa Boulevard. The work involved replacing 3-inch distribution lines with 8-inch high pressure transmission mains.
“The larger lines bring the gas into various parts of the city,” explained PG&E spokesperson Jeff Smith. “Branching off from [those] are various distribution lines that bring gas into your home and business. A lot of what’s being done is expanding the transmission lines throughout the city.”
The new transmission mains can handle up to 200 pounds per square inch (PSI) of gas, compared to the smaller lines, which could deliver about half that amount (It takes about 40 PSI of oxygen to inflate an average tire).
The crews have laid about 12,000 feet of transmission lines, according to PG&E equipment operator Floyd Fink, who said they worked 12 to 16 hours a day to complete the project by the Nov. 15 deadline.
“We’re a little ahead of schedule,” said Floyd, who expects crews will finish resurfacing First Street in a day or two.
And it appears the benefits will come just in time.
“Last winter, there was too much air in the lines and it was blowing out pilot lights,” said Fink. “We’re bringing high pressure so the outskirts of town don’t blow out.”
The utility company scheduled the work as part of a more extensive project to meet the gas needs of the ever-growing northwest quadrant, according to Smith.
“In certain areas they’re doing massive expansion to accommodate the growth,” Smith said. “It is substantial in terms of what’s going on in Gilroy. It’s on a fairly large scale. What you see on First Street is part of that.”
Gilroy’s population has increased by about 5,000 in the last four years, according to census figures. Current development includes Country Estates, which have brought several hundred new units to Gilroy in the last two to three years, according to City Planner Bill Faus. He also pointed to small pockets of development ranging from 12 to 18 homes apiece along Sunset Drive. On average, Gilroy has allowed construction of about 280 homes annually since 2001, plus about 60 to 75 units each year that are exempt from the city’s residential development ordinance, according to figures provided by Faus.
“A large amount of growth for our city has occurred in the city’s northwest quadrant,” Faus said.
The city is currently widening Santa Teresa Boulevard from two to four lanes in order to handle projected increases in traffic. As part of that work, utility companies are installing new lines and in some cases replacing old ones. In addition to upgrading the gas lines that feed the city, PG&E is switching its delivery of electricity along Santa Teresa from overhead to underground lines.
“That’s primarily for aesthetics,” Smith said, “but it also helps reduce outages in cases of storms.”
He added that the improvements would not affect utility prices for consumers.
The First Street work represents the first stage in ongoing upgrades to gas lines throughout the city, according to Smith.
“Obviously there’s been a lot of growth in the Gilroy area,” he said. “We’re always monitoring areas where there are increases in population or businesses. We need to make sure we’re in a position to accommodate the growth.”
