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Rhode Island Energy outlines multi-year Garden City gas-main replacement; residents told meters may be changed and access required
Summary
Rhode Island Energy presented plans to replace cast-iron mains with plastic, convert low-pressure to high-pressure lines in Garden City, and replace customer services and meters; the project will be done in sections over about 2.5 years, require property access for meter replacement and may use 18–24 inch trenches with larger tie-in excavations.
Representatives of Rhode Island Energy presented a multi-stage infrastructure-replacement plan for the Garden City area during the Public Works Committee meeting on May 6. Roseanne Brusco described the project as an engineering-and-construction program to replace aging cast-iron mains with plastic, convert low-pressure mains to high-pressure service, install new services and replace gas meters. Brusco said design and permitting are complete and that the work will be completed in sections so crews can gas in portions and then install services and meters for that section before retiring the old main and performing final restoration.
Corey Hog, principal engineer on the asset planning team, said the area has both completed work and future work planned; the current Garden City project is highlighted on their map and the company expects some other adjacent work to be scheduled in later years. Rhode Island Energy estimated the project duration in the area at approximately two and a half years and described a typical construction season of April 15–November 15 (with some winter work possible in Cranston). Typical daily work hours are planned at about 7:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
On technical and resident-impact questions, the presenters said trenches for main installation are typically 18–24 inches wide; lateral service trenches are similar; tie-in excavations for connecting to existing infrastructure can be larger (they described examples of 7-foot widths and tens of feet in length depending on site conditions). The company will coordinate pavement restoration, sidewalk repairs, milling and final curb-to-curb paving with DPW and follow the state’s 2019 Fair Share roadway repair requirements.
Brusco and construction supervisors said crews will need to access some private properties to size services and replace meters; meter work typically requires at least one return visit and may require the customer to be present for relighting appliances if the meter is inside. Company staff described outreach steps—mailers, door hangers, contractor door knocks, and stakeholder communications with Garden City Center and other business owners—and said they will provide a phone number for residents with questions.
A councilor raised a constituent complaint that a technician replaced a meter after the occupant asked them to delay because children were sleeping. Dave Gavula, the manager of gas construction, said scheduled meter replacements usually require appointment coordination and that the meter department manages technicians; he acknowledged the complaint should be escalated and offered to provide contact information and to follow up.
The committee’s questions focused on resident notification, trench widths, sidewalk and lawn restoration, scheduling around the new Garden City School’s calendar, how the company handles private utilities and irrigation tie-ins, and whether meters can be relocated outside (the company said it prefers exterior meters but requires homeowner permission to move indoor meters outside). No committee action was taken; Rhode Island Energy provided maps and PDFs for staff and council distribution.
