Streetcar Digging Unearths Leaking Gas Pipe
At the corner of 8th and Walnut Streets, nearby the Main Library, Saint Louis Church, and Taqueria Mercado, workers from Duke Energy discovered a leaking gas line while conducting exploratory digging for the Cincinnati Streetcar project. Crews immediately began repairing the line and installing new equipment.
Duke Energy is also performing maintenance on gas lines at Main Street and 4th Street; on Walnut Street near 3rd Street; at Race and Henry Streets; and on Race Street between Liberty and Green Streets.
As part of the city’s construction contract, crews from Duke Energy, Metropolitan Sewer District, the waterworks, Cincinnati Bell, and Time Warner Cable conduct exploratory digging along the route to relocate and perform maintenance on their respective utilities. Public utility improvements along the 3.6 mile route are financed through the funding the city has allocated for the streetcar project. According to John Deatrick, Streetcar Project Executive, as of October 25, 100 feet of ruptured sewer lines are being replaced on Elm Street, and a new water main is being installed at Walnut and Court Streets.
If not for the streetcar construction, the leaking gas lines may have continued to go unnoticed, potentially causing hazards to the surrounding businesses. Infrastructure renewal projects, like the gas line, will continue as streetcar construction progresses.