Gas department readies bid opening for cast-iron replacement and completes 6,800-foot main extension to Mary Anne Beach Road

The Fairhope gas department told the council that bids for the second phase of the city's cast-iron main replacement will open April 8 and that the department expects a significant expenditure to follow. Separately, staff reported completion of an in-house extension of a roughly 6,800-foot main to bring gas service to Mary Anne Beach Road.

A department representative told council members the phase-2 replacement project is a major initiative and that the department will return with formal budget and contract recommendations after bids are opened. "That bid will open on April 8. So you will have a significant expenditure coming from the gas department meeting following that," the speaker said.

The department also described an in-house project to extend a 6,800-foot main to connect County Road 1, Scenic Highway and U.S. 98 and to provide gas service to residents in the Barnwell community. Staff said the extension was completed in-house and will allow new service requests in that area.

Nut graf: The gas department is advancing two infrastructure items: a bid opening for a large cast-iron replacement contract and an internal completion of a long main extension that expands service availability on Mary Anne Beach Road.

Staff also said the I-10 steel-line replacement will be folded into a larger reimbursable project with the Alabama Department of Transportation, which staff estimates will save about $600,000 compared with a standalone replacement. The council did not take formal action on these items during the work session.