US-based public utility company Consumers Energy has announced the completion of construction of $610m Saginaw Trail Pipeline project in the US.
The four-year project was undertaken to upgrade natural gas pipelines and infrastructure in Saginaw, Genesee and Oakland counties.
It is aimed at upgrading Consumers Energy’s natural gas infrastructure while providing environmental enhancements along the route.
The Saginaw Trail Pipeline project has replaced nearly 125.5km of a 1940s vintage natural gas pipeline with 144.8km new, larger pipeline.
The project is part of Natural Gas Delivery Plan, a 10-year road map for a system which is more safe, reliable, affordable and clean.
Consumers Energy followed existing route through rural agricultural areas
For a significant part of the pipeline upgrade, Consumers Energy has followed the existing route through rural agricultural areas.
The project also involved a reroute of the pipeline in order to avoid densely populated areas in Saginaw and Flint.
Consumers Energy project management vice president Dennis Dobbs said: “We are pleased to share that the Saginaw Trail Pipeline has been successfully completed.
“The project was a huge undertaking and we are grateful for the cooperation and patience shown by affected landowners, community leaders, residents and other entities throughout construction.
“We also recognize the outstanding efforts of the hundreds of company and contractor skilled trades employees who worked through the challenge of COVID-19 to bring this project to successful fruition.”
The public utility said that the construction of each phase was concluded without any service interruptions for customers.
Consumers Energy has now put the Saginaw Trail Pipeline project into operations and plans to carry out some additional final restoration work next year.
The CMS Energy’s subsidiary is Michigan’s major energy provider, delivering natural gas and/or electricity to 6.7 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.
