National Grid Update on Queens Gas Reliability Project

Modernizing the natural gas system, improving safety, reliability and supporting future energy needs

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – National Grid continues construction work on the Queens Gas Reliability Project, a multi-million dollar undertaking to modernize the gas system in Queens, improving safety, reliability and supporting the energy needs of the local community.

National Grid and its contractor, Network Infrastructure, are working along 84th Avenue between 115th Street and Lefferts Boulevard. Due to the construction, one block of 84th Avenue between 115th Street and 116th Street will be closed to through traffic and on-street parking will be unavailable from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Local access to properties on 84th Avenue between 115th and 116th will be maintained.

There is limited space on 84th Avenue between 115th and 116th to stage, operate and maneuver the construction equipment necessary for the project. This temporary street closure will allow crews to safely perform the construction work. The construction process typically takes about five to six weeks to complete per neighborhood.

“We are working closely with the local community to minimize the disruption and we thank them for their patience and cooperation during this complex construction project,” said Mike Ruiz, director, Community and Customer Management, National Grid. “The Queens Gas Reliability Project is important to strengthening the network for our Queens customers and it’s a good example of our Connect 21 vision to modernize our energy delivery system and to help customers take more control of their energy use.”

As part of a comprehensive outreach program for the Queens Reliability Project, National Grid’s outreach team has gone door-to-door to provide notices and door hangers for the businesses and residents along the route with information about the project. The company’s outreach also includes meetings with local business organizations and community boards, digital outreach tools and onsite construction signs.

National Grid is investing more than $100 million in the Queens Gas Reliability Project to install more than six miles of new gas mains through Central Queens from Rockaway Boulevard in Southern Queens to just north of the Long Island Expressway to meet the growing energy needs of customers. The work began in January with new gas mains installed in South Ozone Park, Kew Gardens and Richmond Hill.

Once the six-miles of new gas mains are complete, crews will be working in neighborhoods along the route to upgrade the natural gas service in the local communities. The work on the smaller projects will begin in 2016 and all of the work is expected to be completed in the spring of 2016 but work could extend beyond that time due to unforeseen weather events that could impact the work schedule.

The Queens Gas Reliability Project is part of National Grid’s $1.3 billion commitment to modernize the natural gas infrastructure in New York State over the next two years. These investments will be focused on replacing aging mains to enhance the safety and integrity of the gas distribution system, installing new mains and other facilities to accommodate customers requesting natural gas service and ensuring adequate natural gas supplies to meet increasing customer demand.

National Grid’s number one priority is the safety of the public, its customers and employees. The company reminds motorists and pedestrians to be cautious in and around utility roadway work zones for their own safety and the safety of National Grid employees and contractors.