2,800 feet to go Central Hudson natural gas line strategy expected to wrap in mid-summer.

CATSKILL — The Central Hudson gas line project to replace 7,800 feet of natural gas mains in the town of Catskill and Jefferson Heights, resumed March 27 and will continue into mid-summer, Central Hudson officials said Wednesday.J. Mullen & Sons has been assisting with the project. Since the project started last September, 5,000 feet of mains have been replaced, Central Hudson Media Relations Director John Maserjian said. Sixty-six gas services, which are lines that run from the gas mains to individual homes, will also be replaced, he said."That service replacement work has begun as well," Maserjian said.
Work on the project stopped in mid-December when the county permit expired, Maserjian said.
"We do anticipate the entire project will be finished this year," he said.
Work started on North and South Jefferson avenues. Mains will also be replaced in Wildwing Park and Austin Acres, and on Route 23B, Maserjian said.
Central Hudson is publishing a weekly status update for all of their gas main projects from Catskill to Newburgh on its website, Maserjian said.
This is the first time Central Hudson is publishing project updates on its website. Previously, the company gave updated information to local municipalities to share, Maserjian said. Information about the gas main projects across the Hudson Valley can be found at cenhud.com/gas-projects.
Some traffic delays may occur during the construction period depending on the nature of the work, Maserjian said. Once all the mains are installed, much of the work will be out of the streets and at the individual properties.
"We don’t anticipate delays that would hamper commuters or residents from getting to and from their homes," Maserjian said. "It’s our intent to keep one lane open at all times."
At this time, Maserjian doesn’t have an estimate of how much utility rates will rise because of Catskill’s project, but said the increase wouldn’t be high. The price hike would be spread among all of Central Hudson’s customers — not just those in Jefferson Heights — and the rates are differentiated among municipalities, Maserjian said.
"All of this work is an investment in the gas system," Maserjian said. "It’s part of maintaining a safe and reliable energy delivery system."
Central Hudson sent letters to residents informing them of what to expect with this project and there is coordination with each homeowner about disconnecting gas service to their home and bringing in a new line to connect them to the gas mains, Maserjian said.
"There’s a lot of hands at work involved in this project," Maserjian said.
This type of project is not eligible for federal grants. Paying off the costs of the project would be done typically over a 30-year period, Maserjian said. Central Hudson got road permits for the project and representatives provide residents and town officials with regular updates, Maserjian said.
"They understand the need to keep our infrastructure up to date," Maserjian said. "There’s constant communications."
The town of Catskill is publishing Central Hudson’s updates about the project on the town website, but the Town Board isn’t as involved with the gas line project as with the Jefferson Heights sewer project, Catskill Town Supervisor Doreen Davis said.
The town’s biggest concern is making sure construction trucks aren’t blocking roads, Davis said.
"It’s not a municipal project," Davis said. "Occasionally, they have open houses where they invite the residents."