Tag: NW Natural

Construction, Infrastructure

NW Natural Completes Area Pipe Inspection

Crews with NW Natural recently removed two gas line inspection apparatuses temporarily installed above ground on both sides of Interstate 84, west of the NE 74th Avenue overpass. Federal regulations require natural gas suppliers to inspect their delivery pipes every seven years, promoting safety and efficient operation. The utility’s Pipeline Integrity Management Team inspected over eight miles of gas lines during this project, which completed work on Friday, May 9th.

A fenced area showing a large yellow gas line inspection apparatus on a wooden platform, with traffic cones in the foreground and residential buildings in the background.
Pig launcher installed on NE Jonesmore St west of NE 74th Ave

Although regulations allow gas line inspections through several methods, NW Natural prefers the uses of an internal sensor device known as a Pipeline Inspection Gauge (pig) – the term pig may be a backronym as some sources atribute its name’s origin to a squealing noise produced by early versions of the tool while traveling through a pipe. A pig is a device that operators can insert into a gas line that is nearly the same diameter as the pipe. Once in the pressurized gas pipe, it travels with the fuel flow at around five miles per hour, measuring the thickness of the pipe wall along its path. “As the pig moves through the system, it’s generating a 3D picture from inside the pipeline that can show wall loss or corrosion, dents, contact with other objects underground, or other various anomalies,” explained NW Natural representative Dave Santen.

Temporary gas line inspection apparatuses surrounded by a fence, with construction cones, along Interstate 84.
Pig launcher installed on NE Broadway west of NE 74th Ave

Operators insert the in-pipe sensor equipment into natural gas lines via access points called pig launchers. Crews installed two temporary access points above ground on either side of I-84 west of SE 74th Avenue to bypass the segment of gas pipe that runs under the I-84 overpass in this area. Current NW Natural engineering plans do not use pigs to scan the suspended line over the freeway. Instead, they use other approved inspection methods. Consequently, workers needed to excavate around the below-ground gas lines at NE Jonesmore Street and NE Broadway to attach the pig launcher and receiver so the sensor equipment could continue its path manually, bypassing the overpass attached line.

Excavation site showing a long yellow gas pipe inserted into the ground with construction barriers and fencing along Interstate 84.
Pig launcher installed on NE Broadway west of NE 74th Ave

NW Natural representatives said the inspection went well, and crews have removed the above-ground equipment. Road workers will soon repair the pavement removed during this project. Future inspections of the gas line may be able to send the pig across the overpass. However, this once every seven-year process works well and does not disrupt the natural gas supply for customers who depend on it for heating and cooking.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Otter Wax, a neighborhood producer of small-batch specialty goods handcrafted in Portland. Using only natural ingredients, they make modern care products that are steeped in tradition. We thank them for their support.

Construction, Infrastructure

SE 76th Under Sidewalk Gas Regulator Work

Starting the week of October 7th, crews working for NW Natural cut through the sidewalk on the west side of SE 76th Avenue at SE Morrison Street to install new gas regulators. The utility company will place the natural gas equipment below ground in protective enclosures consistent with City of Portland requirements.

This work will replace an existing natural gas vault on the north side of SE Morrison Street across SE 76th Avenue from the work site. The older equipment is located in the planting strip between the sidewalk and the curb at the base of a mature tree. The project underway will update the existing gas distribution infrastructure in the area, providing a modern and reliable fuel delivery system.

This work will involve demolishing the sidewalk in select areas and excavating a pit deep enough to contain equipment. Crews will install access ports for maintenance and pour new concrete to restore the sidewalk. Some in-road work may occur as workers connect the new regulators to gas lines and decommission the older equipment. Pedestrians walking in the area should use the east side of SE 76th Avenue until NW Natural completes work. Motorists and cyclists may need to navigate around heavy equipment working in the roadway at times during the project.

Sidewalk markings for a gas regulator painted on the west side of SE 76th Ave in October 2022

Update October 25th, 2024: NW Natural crews staged new gas regulator assemblies next to the open trench along the west side of SE 76th Avenue at SE Morrison Street. The two cement vaults are sitting below street level awaiting placement of the new gas main piping.

Update November 8th, 2024: NW Natural crews installed new gas regulator assemblies into their vaults. Soon they will place the concrete vault lids and reconstruct the surrounding sidewalk.

Update December 16th, 2024: Cement masons have completed sidewalk reconstruction over the new NW Natural gas regulator vaults on the west side of SE 76th Avenue at SE Morrison Street.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Community, Infrastructure

First Winter Storm of 2024 Causes Damage

A winter storm that began on Friday night started slow but delivered bitter-cold temperatures and heavy winds, toppling trees and damaging utility lines. As of Sunday night, many residents suffering from an outage have regained power, but trees continue to fall as the frozen ground shows no signs of thawing and winds pick up again. Meteorologists predicted up to eight inches of snow on Saturday. However, the winds and cold did more to disrupt travel than the few inches of precipitation that fell. Whole trees and falling limbs snapped power lines and uprooted gas lines, sending repair crews across the Portland Metro area.

On Saturday, a downed tree by Ascension Catholic Church at 743 SE 76th Avenue damaged power lines, cutting service to homes and traffic lights. The traffic signals for SE Stark and Washington Streets at SE 76th Avenue fell dark, and crews closed SE 76th from SE Washington to Yamhill Street. This tree fell across the road, landing on a Portland Police vehicle and the church’s fence. Officers were not inside this patrol car when the tree fell, and no injuries were reported, according to Portland Police. Crews worked on this repair overnight, returning service to most affected customers on Sunday.

Also, on Saturday, crews with NW Natural closed part of NE 74th Avenue due to a downed tree that uprooted a gas line. Like the SE 76th Avenue tree, the rootball broke free of the frozen ground, sending the tree across the roadway. People saw similar damage throughout Portland, with some Montavilla residents suffering damage to their homes by falling trees.

Currently, the Fred Meyer Grocery store at 6615 NE Glisan Street is without utility power but operating on standby generators. Customers can still shop but with limited departments open and dim light. Most Montavilla Pacific Power Customers have power restored, but over 100 PGE customers in the neighborhood still show a lack of power on the outage map. Utility workers have managed to reconnect thousands of customers. However, winds are returning, and the prolonged low temperatures are freezing pipes. More winter weather is coming, but forecasting models show a warming coming in the latter half of the week. Until then, people should remain prepared for future outages. 

By

Jacob Loeb

Some images in this article were taken by readers and given to Montavilla News to use with their permission.

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Construction, Infrastructure

Lane Closures on SE 82nd and Ash

Crews working for NW Natural Gas closed SE Ash Street at 82nd Avenue this week as they service underground utilities. During this project, traffic cones and flaggers also reduced travel lanes on SE 82nd Avenue as crews operated in the active roadway. The open-trench work comes ahead of more substantial improvements to the protected pedestrian crossing at this intersection.

The 82nd Avenue crossing at SE Ash Street currently has a single pedestrian refuge island at the south crossing. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will replace that older infrastructure with a larger raised median that contains space for street trees or other plantings. This mid-street structure will have cutouts for at-grade pedestrian crossings from both corners of SE Ash Street, but it will prevent automotive through traffic and left turns.

PBOT provided design document

Because this project will impact future underground access and require reconstruction of the sidewalk corners, all subterranean service work needs to occur before paving crews complete the above-ground work. Expect continued construction in this area as various crews come through this intersection to work on their part of the larger project.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Construction, Infrastructure

Gas Line Work Restricts SE Stark

Today, Monday the 9th, one lane of SE Stark Street is closed to traffic west of SE 80th Avenue as crews working with NW Natural service a buried natural gas line. Excavation equipment and crew vehicles are currently blocking the north travel lane of the street. The planned maintenance required an open trench in the parking lane in front of 7821 SE Stark Street. When work completes for the day, the roadway can fully reopen. However, the parking space over the worksite will require payment repairs.

Expect traffic pattern disruptions throughout the day and future road repairs in this area.

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to please consider becoming a paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.