North End Overnight Gas Pipeline Work Extended One Hour Daily

Overnight work on the half-mile of new gas pipeline which began last week on Main Street in the city's North End has been extended from eight hours to nine hours daily, according to Connecticut Light & Power/Yankee Gas Spokesman Mitch Gross.

Construction hours on the section from Main Street to Hartford Avenue in Middetown begin at 10 p.m. and end at 7 a.m. instead of the previous 6 a.m. time on Sunday through Thursday. 

Work started on Sept. 16 in front of the Main Street Firehouse and has since progressed toward the Liberty Street intersection, near It's Only Natural Market. The attached video shows overnight work on Sept. 23.

In response to some Main Street apartment residents who told Middletown Patch that the construction work was excessively noisy and made sleep difficult, Gross asked for patience. 

"We understand their concerns, as we are working as quickly and safely as possible to finish the expansion work in November, then we will complete the final repaving in the spring of 2014," he said. 

Work hours remain the same for the section from Hartford Avenue to Route 9, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., Sunday through Thursday. Drivers should continue to expect lane closures while the work is taking place, according to Gross. 

The work schedule adjustment has been approved by the Connecticut Department of Transportation, Gross says. 

Construction is still expected to conclude in the spring of 2014. Gross says the new pipeline will give current Yankee Gas customers a more reliable system and allow the company to more easily add new customers in that area of Middletown.

Anyone who has questions or comments can call the Yankee Gas customer service line at (800) 989-0900.

Has your commute been affected by the construction? Tell us in the comments below.