PSENG outlines Somerville downtown gas‑main replacements, night work and detours

PSENG representatives told a Somerville workshop that the utility will resume a gas‑main modernization project in early January, replacing mains and services on West Main and Division streets and using night work, traffic detours and targeted outreach to reduce disruption.

"We're starting — we're continuing actually some of our gas main construction upgrades on Division Street and Main Street," said Matt Rose, regional public affairs manager at PSENG, who opened the workshop and introduced the project team. Tyler Keefe, the project manager, said PSENG has already completed two prior Somerville projects totaling 12.9 miles of main replacement and about 1,500 service replacements since 2022.

Why it matters: PSENG said the modernization reduces leaks and methane emissions, improves system safety and reliability, and moves meters outdoors where suitable to improve emergency access. The remaining scope includes roughly 1,450 feet of main and about 45 services on West Main (Maple A to North Dudy) and about 435 feet of main and 15 services on Division Street.

Schedule and traffic: Keefe gave a tentative schedule that would begin mobilization in early January, with crews working Division and West Main concurrently. He said night work on West Main would run from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. under an approved DOT detour. PSENG aims to complete main installation in the third week of January, weather permitting, finish construction by March 31 and perform final mill-and-pave in May. Staff displayed a detour that closes West Main between North Bridge and Dowy and routes traffic via Veterans Memorial and West High Street.

Construction method and restoration: To limit night‑time trench openings on Division, Keefe described a "push" method that inserts new pipe through the existing line and concentrates service excavations into brief windows. Spencer Parks, senior distribution supervisor for Mid Central Gas Construction, said crews will backfill and clean sites nightly, may use pinned steel plates when necessary so driveways remain accessible, and will follow a roughly 90‑day settlement period before final paving. Parks said PSENG will use temporary hot patch (not cold patch) for durability during the settlement period.

Outreach and inspections: Cassim Gomez, PSENG outreach, said the utility will begin outreach the next day and inspectors will visit properties the following week to assess whether meters can be relocated outdoors. "We have a dedicated hotline," Gomez said, and staff will distribute door hangers, weekly email updates and PDF materials and coordinate with the Downtown Somerville Alliance to keep businesses informed.

Claims and liability: Chase Jones, a claims consultant, explained the claims process: PSENG is self‑insured and reviews claims case‑by‑case. "Filing a claim itself does not guarantee payment," Jones said, and he added that claim handling follows applicable New Jersey tort law and, for public‑entity claims, provisions such as Title 59 may apply.

Access and authority: Keefe told the audience that PSENG operates under a filed tariff and noted the utility's authority to access premises for operation and maintenance. He said PSENG will make extensive outreach and scheduling efforts but said if a single property among a coordinated group refuses access, the other properties can proceed and that holdouts may have gas service curtailed temporarily. "Those other 14 are going to take precedence and that one person is going to have gas shut off to their building," Keefe said; he added PSENG would leave emergency contact information and endeavor to restore service the next day after contact attempts.

Logistics and public safety: PSENG said it will coordinate with DOT and deploy traffic control, including police officers, cones and signage. To protect pavers and pedestrian access on Division, staff said they will use smaller excavators and limit work to one side of the street where possible.

Next steps: PSENG said it expects mobilization to begin in early January (with some attendees noting Jan. 12 may be more practical) and that technicians will start making building visits the week after the workshop. The utility estimated a nightly installation target of about 200–240 feet, depending on underground utilities. Outreach materials, hotline numbers and weekly progress updates will be posted and distributed to affected properties.

The workshop closed after a question‑and‑answer session in which staff repeated the schedule, safety and outreach commitments and asked attendees to share contact information so inspectors and outreach staff can coordinate meter moves and appointments.