PSE, private-property owners agree on Upper County pipeline route
Natural gas service in Upper County expected around year-end
BELLEVUE, Wash. (April 19, 2006) – Natural gas service is expected to be available in parts of Upper Kittitas County by around year-end now that Puget Sound Energy has received easements from local private-property owners along the planned gas-pipeline route to the Cle Elum-Roslyn area, the utility said today.
PSE still needs to obtain easements and permits from various local, state, and federal government entities before pipeline construction can commence. A PSE executive, however, said he is confident the utility can get the green light by late spring and begin building the pipeline extension by July or August.
"We're extremely grateful for the patience and cooperation we received in our discussions with all the property owners along the new route," said Paul Wiegand, vice president of project development and contract management for PSE. "I'm sure Upper County residents and business owners will be thanking them, too, when natural gas begins flowing their way."
Some Kittitas County residents voiced opposition last year to PSE's initial pipeline route, a "cross-country" path that primarily crossed private lands. In response, the utility re-evaluated the plan and eventually drew a new route that was broadly endorsed by the community.
Most of the new, 20-mile pipeline route is within the right-of-way of county roads. From Thorp, the pipeline will run northwest along Thorp Cemetary Road, Taneum Road, Thorp Prairie Road, Lower Peoh Point Road, McDonald Road, and finally, the BNSF Railway corridor into Cle Elum.
The new route will cause temporary disruption and detours of local traffic during construction, Wiegand noted, probably lasting a few weeks at each construction site as work progresses.
"We are working with county engineers and the community on ways to hold traffic problems to a minimum and to keep local residents informed as the work proceeds," Wiegand said, "but there's simply no way to avoid some traffic interference."
Media Contact: Grant Ringel, 1-888-831-7250